Click here to view guidelines for BioNEST Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies

Bio-incubation allows harnessing of the entrepreneurial potential of start ups by providing access to infrastructure as well as mentoring and networking platforms that the start ups could use during their fledgling days.

The Startup India Action Plan has necessitate creation of new bio-incubation space that are world class and that can provide cutting edge access to the best bio- incubation environs for propelling innovative ideas towards productization.

BIRAC’s focus has been creation of a biotechnology startup environment in the country. It has taken a couple of strategic implementation programmes thatspan from provide funding to early stage ideas through grants, creation of bioincubators at strategic locations (through BioNEST) and extend mentorship and networking opportunities to startups

Through BioNEST, BIRAC has supported 20 bioincubators that are at various stages of operationalization with the cumulative area of 200000 sq.ft. Out of this approximately 100,000 sft space is currently active for incubation. The 20 bioincubators are placed either within academic/research clusters or stand-alone incubators either privately funded or funded by State Governments.

The new growth in biotech startups would require either scaling of existing bio-incubation space in current biotech hubs or creation of new bio-

incubation space at nascent hubs that have the potential to become bigger biotech hubs in the next decade. Further, the creation of new bio- incubation space should be cognizant about the differential needs of varied nature of biotech startups- especially those that are medtech (including medical electronics hardware), biopharma, agri-biotech and biomaterials.

BIRAC’s Strategy for Developing and Strengthening/rejuvenating Bio- incubators through BioNEST:

 Objectives and Activity/ Programme description

A BIRAC supported bio-incubation facility has the following salient features:

• Provides good incubation space to Start-ups and Entrepreneurs.

• Provides access to a pool of special equipments in the common equipment facility.

• Connects industry and academia and enable interactions for efficient exchange of knowledge as well as facilitate technical and business mentorship.

• Provides enabling services and required mentorship for IP and technology management, legal and contract, resource mobilization and networking platform.

• Establishes an efficient governance models.

 In order to create the enabler to support entrepreneurship in biotech sector BIRAC has  supported  twenty  Bioincubation center across India as mentioned below: