Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG)

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council·India

Up to Rs 50 lakh grant-in-aid over 18 months for an Indian biotech company or LLP to take an idea to proof of concept, released in three to four milestone instalments.

What you get

up to ₹5,000,000Cash

“BIG provides early-stage funding support of INR 50 Lakhs as grant-in-aid for a period of 18 months to translate their innovative ideas into Proof of Concept.”

Duration18 months

Equity takenNone, non-dilutive

Strings attachedThe fund allocation under BIG is milestone based and released in 3-4 installments: INR 20.00 lakhs upon signing of the Grant Agreement; one to two instalments, each of up to INR 20.00 lakhs to be released based on satisfactory progress of project milestones and funding requirement; up to INR 5.00 lakhs upon successful completion of the project. The final tranche shall be released as reimbursement upon submission and acceptance of the final Utilization Certificate (UC), Statement of Expenditure (SoE), and the Project Completion Report. BIG grant is not a research fellowship and cannot be used to support PhD or any other academic research.

Can you apply

VC backingNot required

Referral or partnerNot required

Registered companyRequired

IndividualsNot eligible

Open sourceNot required

CountriesIndia

Before you applyA Company or LLP registered under the Indian Companies Act 1956/2013, incorporated not earlier than 5 years from the date of launch of the particular BIG call, with at least 51% of capital beneficially owned by resident Indian citizens and/or Indian companies. The application must be represented by a named Project Leader. Applications are submitted through one of BIRAC's regional BIG Partners.

Who can apply? (Eligibility criteria) The Company/LLP should be registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956/2013. The incorporation date of the Company/LLP should not be earlier than 5 years from the date of launch of a particular BIG call. A company is considered as 'owned' by resident Indian citizen(s) if minimum 51% of the capital is beneficially owned by resident Indian citizen(s) and / or Indian companies, which are ultimately owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens. Company/LLP's application should be represented by a Project Leader.

When

Not open right now, and no next round has been announced.

Past rounds

BIG-25closed 30 Nov 2025

What Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council funds

Government of India enterprise under the Department of Biotechnology. Its flagship Biotechnology Ignition Grant funds early stage Indian biotech startups, including AI-driven diagnostics, health and life sciences ventures, from ideation to proof of concept as milestone-based grant-in-aid.

Everything Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council funds →

Details

Calls are announced twice a year and BIRAC operates through eight regional BIG Partners who screen applications, run the first-level online review and conduct due diligence. Selection is multi-tier: eligibility check by the BIG Partner, online review by three to five subject-area reviewers plus a Review Committee, then a face-to-face presentation before a centrally conducted Technical Expert Panel.

Apply on Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council