Tool · Scheme directory

BIRAC, Non-Dilutive Grants for Biotech & Life-Sciences Startups (BIG, E-YUVA, SITARE)

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Dept. of Biotechnology · BIRAC (birac.nic.in) Free Intermediate India

For anyone building in biotech, healthtech, agritech, or life sciences, BIRAC is the single most important non-dilutive funder in India, its BIG grant of up to INR 50 lakh is genuinely equity-free R&D money. Deep-tech founders routinely overlook it because they default to VC.

  • Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) provides up to INR 50 lakh as a non-dilutive grant for ideation-to-early-stage validation.
  • E-YUVA supports student and early-career innovators; SITARE and BioNEST cover fellowships and incubation.
  • Grants are milestone-linked and disbursed through BIRAC partner incubators, the application is proposal-driven.
  • Sector-specific: if you're not in life sciences this isn't your desk, but if you are, it beats diluting for lab money.
Open on birac.nic.in ↗

It answers 3 questions

  1. What government schemes and grants can an early Indian startup actually get?
  2. What startup grants and competitions can a student in India apply to?
  3. How do I write a grant application that actually gets funded?

Read with it

  1. This is the single official directory of central and state government schemes for Indian startups, the primary source, not a... Startup India (startupindia.gov.in) Tool · Directory / ongoing Startup India, Government Schemes for Startups DPIIT, Government of India
  2. NIDHI is the DST umbrella that funds ideas and prototypes through campus incubators, the most realistic path for student and... NIDHI, DST (nidhi.dst.gov.in) Tool · Programme directory NIDHI, DST's Umbrella for Student & Early-Stage Grants (PRAYAS, Seed Support, EIR) Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India
  3. The official government overview of how to incorporate and register a startup in India, including the SPICe+ route on the MCA... startupindia.gov.in Article · Official overview Startup India Scheme (Incorporation & Registration Overview) Startup India / DPIIT
  4. SISFS is the most accessible non-dilutive cheque for early Indian startups, and this is where you actually apply. It's... Seed Fund Portal (seedfund.startupindia.gov.in) Tool · Application portal Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), Official Portal DPIIT, Government of India
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