To support Indian and French collaborative projects involving academic actors, biotech start-ups and SMEs for promoting the innovation ecosystem in both the countries, the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) have jointly invited call for proposals on 'Red Biotechnology up to pre-commercialisation stage'.

The themes of the call include molecular diagnostic for prediction of Alzheimer’s and other dementia; new assisting technologies for mobility of physically challenged (including prosthesis and robotics applications); and biomaterials and cell engineering for health applications.

BIRAC and the French Embassy in India, represented by the Science and Technology Service (SST) have partnership programme to support Indian and French collaborative projects involving academic actors, biotech start-ups and SMEs for promoting the innovation ecosystem in both the countries. This targeted programme is managed by the CEFIPRA. BIRAC and SST through the CEFIPRA will mobilise support for Indian and French partners respectively.

BIRAC, the SST/French Embassy in India and the CEFIPRA have joint interest to support challenge-oriented programme to support high-quality bilateral research solution-driven projects that combine innovative approaches towards new concepts and technological breakthroughs in human health; and encourage and enable Indo-French collaboration between public and private research groups, industry, clinicians and end- users in order to improve the competitiveness of both Indian and French biotech industries.

The proposals must be innovative and market-driven towards the development or substantial improvement of new products, devices, drugs, processes, etc. for human health.

The proposals must involve at least two French partners (one academia and one industry) and two Indian partners (one academia and one industry), and should clearly show the added value of the bilateral collaboration. The proposals must be written jointly by Indian and French partners.

BIRAC, a government of India enterprise, has been set up to promote and nurture affordable innovation research. CEFIPRA is an Indo-French bilateral autonomous body, which aims to promote collaborative research between India and France in cutting edge science and technology fields.