The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) through its Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP) has invited research proposals from Indian biotech companies for development of novel and innovative industrial processes and products in industrial biotechnology.

The broad areas of research include biotechnological interventions for large scale production of high value products such as fine and speciality chemicals, antibiotics, vitamins, etc; improved enzymatic systems for new and more efficient bioprocesses that show increased yield, quality and purity through bioprocess design, process optimisation and downstream processing; and production of new and functionalized biopolymers. The area of research also includes conversion of renewable raw materials into sustainable and cost-effective bio-products; bioremediation (using novel products or methods) and Bioenergy (new biological sources and efficient production processes); and innovative down-stream processing (economic separation and purification processes for complex biochemical mixtures).

The proposals should either be based on developing innovative new technologies or scale-up and validation of existing technologies.

Industrial Biotechnology is the application of biotechnology using micro-organisms and their derived enzymes for environmental-friendly production and processing of chemicals that have wide ranging usage in several industries be it healthcare/pharmaceuticals, food and feed, paper and pulp, textiles and bio-energy. The benefits derived are plenty with productivity gains and reduction in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, industrial waste and pollutants.

BIPP is a government partnership programme with industry for support on a cost sharing basis targeted at development of novel and high risk futuristic technologies mainly for viability gap funding and enhancing existing R&D capacities of Start-ups and SMEs in key areas of national importance and public good.

BIRAC is a not-for-profit company set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to promote and nurture innovation research in Biotech Enterprises specially Start-ups and SMEs. Major thrust of the programme is towards funding technologies which address a major national problem and/or involves high level of innovation. The proposals spanning across the spectrum of pre-proof-of-concept to validation of established technologies are considered for support in the form of grant and/or loan.