The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has started the process of setting up the 'Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council' (BIRAC) which is being established to stimulate, foster and enhance the strategic research and innovation capabilities of the Indian biotech industry, particularly the small and medium enterprises.

According to sources in the DBT, after getting the cabinet nod, the department is currently engaged in the process of company incorporation for setting up the BIRAC by which the government aims to make India globally competitive in biotech innovation and entrepreneurship and to create affordable products and services.

BIRAC will be established as w ‘not-for-profit’ section 25 company with a vision to stimulate, foster and enhance the strategic research and innovation capabilities of the Indian biotech industry particularly SME’s, sources said and added that the financial outlay for the council will be announced in the 12 th Plan. The Council will operate with a core budget for its regular activities and recurring expenses for human resources and operational cost with an initial outlay of Rs.70 crore for two years.

The council is being established as a separate body for supporting product innovation and providing required infrastructure and services at different stages of the value chain for promoting innovation and product development. It will provide funding and investment for early and late stage, including Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI), Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP) and Ignition grant; technology transfer and acquisition in national priority areas; and technology development – incubators, parks, etc.

It will also provide support services such as IP facilitation, legal and contracts, regulatory and clinical trial facilitation; mentoring and capacity building.

The council would function as the government’s, inter-phase agency for supporting industry –academia interaction, which will service as a single window for the emerging biotech industry through which they can acquire knowledge, access world class R&D infrastructure, access rate limiting serious technologies and seek technical problem solving help regulatory advice.

The setting up of an innovation support organisation like BIRAC will address the felt need in the government system for providing a comprehensive enabling environment and technology related service package to promote, nurture and support medium and high level innovation in biotech research. This would be particularly useful for small and medium size companies, and also support and facilitate creation of new start-ups.