**Executive Summary**
This document provides information in response to a Parliament question regarding DBT grants under BIRAC, BioNEST, and Biotech Hubs, with focus on Tamil Nadu. It covers funding received by various institutes, startups, and companies located in Tamil Nadu from 2023-2026 under several programs. The information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Funding Recipients:**
* Lists institutes, startups and companies in Tamil Nadu that received funding from BIRAC during 2023-26.
* Includes applicant names, funding schemes (SBIRI, BIPP, PACE, BioNEST, GCI, NBM), and district.
* **BioNEST Incubators:**
* Provides details on BioNEST incubators in Tamil Nadu, including the name of the bioincubator, district, total number of incubatees supported, number of technologies commercialized, and number of IPs filed.
* **Women Beneficiaries:**
* Details the number of women beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu supported under DST WOS-A, WISE-PhD, WISE-PDF, and WISE-SCOPE programs, broken down by district and for the years 2023-2026.
* **INSPIRE Program Beneficiaries:**
* Details the number of beneficiaries who were awarded scholarships and fellowships under the DST-INSPIRE program.
* Presents information on INSPIRE-SHE beneficiaries and INSPIRE Fellowship beneficiaries, broken down by district name and for the years 2023-26.
* Details of women scientists supported under GCI and BioCARe programs in Tamil Nadu state (district-wise).
* **DBT-Supported R&D Centres:**
* Lists DBT-supported R&D centers approved, clinical trial units operationalized in Tamil Nadu under the National Biopharma Mission (NBM).
* Includes the name of the grantee, district, state, and employment generated.
**Impact Analysis**
**Institutes, Startups, and Companies in Tamil Nadu:**
* **Impact:** Receive funding and support through BIRAC and DBT programs.
* **Action Required:** Utilize funding and resources to advance R&D and innovation in the biotechnology sector.
**Women Scientists and Researchers:**
* **Impact:** Receive scholarships and fellowships through DST programs, including WOS-A, WISE-PhD, WISE-PDF, WISE-SCOPE, and INSPIRE.
* **Action Required:** Utilize these opportunities to advance their careers in science and engineering.
**BioNEST Incubators:**
* **Impact:** Incubatees receive support through infrastructure and operational support to ensure the smooth functioning of these centers.
* **Action Required:** BIRAC centers provide support for incubated startups.
**Tamil Nadu State:**
* **Impact:** The document reflects funding and support for biotechnology research and development, as well as opportunities for women in science and engineering, within the state.
* **Action Required:** The data provided can be used to evaluate the impact of various programs and inform future policy decisions.
Key Entities Referenced
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC): A Section 8, not-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise, established by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), that serves as a strategic interface agency, dedicated to nurturing India's startup ecosystem and advancing R&D with a specialized focus on the biotechnology sector.
Department of Biotechnology (DBT): Established BIRAC and provides grants discussed in the document.
Tamil Nadu: The state in which the Institutes, Startups, Companies received funding from BIRAC under various schemes.
Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP): One of the funding schemes under which Institutes, Startups, Companies located in Tamil Nadu received funding from BIRAC.
Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNEST): One of the funding schemes under which Institutes, Startups, Companies located in Tamil Nadu received funding from BIRAC.
Ministry of Science & Technology
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: DBT GRANTS UNDER
BIRAC, BIONEST AND BIOTECH HUBS
Posted On: 11 FEB 2026 1:37PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, has established the Biotechnology
Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a Section 8, not-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise that
serves as a strategic interface agency, dedicated to nurturing India’s startup ecosystem and advancing
R&D with a specialized focus on the biotechnology sector.
The following Institutes, Startups, Companies located in Tamil Nadu received funding from BIRAC under
Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP), Small Business Innovation Research Initiative
(SBIRI), Promoting Academic Research Conversion to Enterprise (PACE), Bioincubators Nurturing
Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNEST), Grand Challenge India (GCI) and National
Biopharma Mission (NBM) schemes during 2023-26:
S. No Applicant/ Grantee Name Scheme District
/Programs
1. Fermentech Gsv Private Limited SBIRI Thanjavur
2. C. Abdul Hakeem College SBIRI Vellore
3. Cisgen Biotech Discoveries Private Limited SBIRI Chennai
4. Levim Biotech LLP BIPP Chennai
5. Seagrass Tech Private Limited BIPP Chennai
6. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Department of Nano PACE Coimbatore
Science and Technology
7. Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences PACE Coimbatore
8. IIT Madras PACE Chennai
9. Central Leather Research Institute PACE Chennai
10. Avinashilingam Institute for HSc and HEd for Women PACE Coimbatore11. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University- PACE Chennai
DCAHS
IIT Madras PACE Chennai
13. Healthcare Technology Innovation Center, IIT Madras NBM Chennai
14. The Cancer Institute (WIA - Women's Indian Association) NBM Chennai
15. Christian Medical College Vellore Association NBM Vellore
16. Carenow Medical Pvt Ltd NBM Coimbatore
17. Vellore Institute of Technology NBM Vellore
18. SRM Institutes for Medical Science NBM Chennai
19. Theragen Biologics Private Limited NBM Chennai
20. ICMR - National Institute of Epidemiology NBM Chennai
21. Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Research Centre NBM Madurai
22. HTIC (Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre) BioNEST Chennai
MedTech Incubator, Chennai
23. Association for Bio-inspired Leaders and Entrepreneurs at BioNEST Thanjavur
Sastra TBI
24. Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal sciences University - BioNEST Chennai
Veterinary Incubation Foundation at TANUVAS
25. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research BioNEST Chennai
26. IIT Madras GCI Chennai
The district-wise details of the number of biotech startups incubated in Tamil Nadu–based bioincubators,
intellectual property (IP) filed, and technologies/products commercialised during 2023-26, are provided
below. BIRAC provides infrastructure and operational support to ensure the smooth functioning of these
centres, however, it does not provide direct seed funding to startups under the incubation schemeS. No Name of the BioNEST District Total No. of No. of Products / No of
Bioincubator Incubatees Technologies IP's
supported commercialised filed
BioNEST HTIC Chennai 69 27 42
(Healthcare Technology
Innovation Centre)
MedTech Incubator,
Chennai
BioNEST Association for Thanjavur 45 10 10
Bio-inspired Leaders and
Entrepreneurs at Sastra
TBI, Thanjavur
BioNEST Tamil Nadu Chennai 18 5 7
Veterinary and Animal
Sciences University -
Veterinary Incubation
Foundation at TANUVAS,
Chennai
BioNEST Sri Ramachandra Chennai 37 2 9
Institute of Higher
Education & Research,
Chennai
BioNEST-SRM Medical Chengalpattu 28 0 0
College Hospital and
Research Centre, Chennai
The table below details the number of beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu who received scholarships or
fellowships from the Department of Science & Technology (DST) over the last three years. This includes
recipients under the WOS-A (Women Scientists Scheme), WISE-PhD (Women in Science and
Engineering-PhD), WISE-PDF (Women in Science and Engineering-PDF), and WISE-SCOPE (Women in
Science and Engineering- Societal Challenges with Opportunities) programs.
Women beneficiaries supported under DST WOS-A program in
Tamil Nadu state (district -wise)
S.No District 2023-26
1. Chennai 92. Coimbatore 3
3. Karaikudi 2
4. Salem 1
5. Tiruchirappalli 2
Total 17
Women beneficiaries supported under DSTWISE-PhD program in
Tamil Nadu state (district-wise)
S. No District 2023-2026
1. Chennai 9
2. Coimbatore 3
3. Dindigul 1
4. Kancheepuram 2
5. Sivaganga 1
6. Thanjavur 2
7. Tiruchirappalli 2
8. Vellore 1
Total 21
Women beneficiaries supported under DST WISE-PDF program in
Tamil Nadu state (district wise)
S. No District 2023-2026
1. Chennai 82. Coimbatore 2
3. Cuddalore 1
4. Salem 1
5. Thanjavur 1
6. Tiruchirappalli 1
7. Tirunelveli 1
Total 15
Women beneficiaries supported under DST WISE-SCOPE program in
Tamil Nadu state (district-wise)
S. No District 2023-26
1. Chennai 3
2. Coimbatore 2
3. Cuddalore 1
4. Dindigul 1
5. Tiruchirappalli 1
6. Tirupathur 1
Total 9
The table below presents the number of beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu who were awarded scholarships and
fellowships under the DST-INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) program over
the past three years.
INSPIRE-SHE Beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu State (district-wise)
S.No. District Name 2023-261. Chengalpattu 2
2. Chennai 15
3. Coimbatore 4
4. Dharmapuri 1
5. Dindigul 1
6. Erode 20
7. Kanchipuram 5
8. Kanyakumari 9
9. Madurai 2
10. Nagapattinam 1
11. Namakkal 8
12. Salem 1
13. Thanjavur 2
14. Thiruvallur 2
15. Thoothukudi 1
16. Tiruchirappalli 2
17. Tirunelveli 2
18. Tiruppur 6
19. Virudhunagar 6
Total 90
INSPIRE Fellowship Beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu State (district-wise)S. No District 2023-26
1. Chengalpattu 44
2. Chennai 144
3. Coimbatore 126
4. Cuddalore 13
5. Dindigul 16
6. Kanchipuram 3
7. Kanyakumari 7
8. Madurai 8
9. Salem 10
10. Sivaganga 68
11. Thanjavur 20
12. Tiruchirappalli 39
13. Tirunelveli 14
14. Tiruvarur 17
15. Vellore 53
Total 582
INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship Beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu State (district-wise)
S.No. District Name 2023-26
1. Chengalpattu 6
2. Chennai 333. Coimbatore 2
4. Dindigul 2
5. Kancheepuram 1
6. Karaikudi 2
7. Namakkal 1
8. Tiruchirappalli 9
9. Vellore 5
Total 61
Additionally, the details of women scientists in Tamil Nadu supported by the DBT BioCARe program and
the BIRAC Grand Challenge India (GCI) program are presented below.
Women scientists beneficiaries supported under GCI program in
Tamil Nadu state (district-wise)
S. No District 2023-26
1. Thiruvallur 2
Total 2
Women scientists beneficiaries supported under BioCARein
Tamil Nadu state (district-wise)
S.No District 2023-26
1. Chennai 3
2. Coimbatore 2
3. Cuddalore 1Total 6
The details of DBT-supported R&D centres approved, clinical trial units operationalized in the state of
Tamil Nadu under the National Biopharma Mission (NBM) are as under-
Grantee District State Employment
Generated
Healthcare Technology Innovation Center, IIT Chennai Tamil Nadu 5
Madras, Chennai
The Cancer Institute (WIA - Women's Indian Chennai Tamil Nadu 20
Association), also known as the Adyar Cancer
Institute
Christian Medical College Vellore Association, Vellore Tamil Nadu 12
Vellore
SRM Institute for Medical Science, Chennai Chennai Tamil Nadu 14
ICMR - National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai Chennai Tamil Nadu 12
Meenakshi Mission Hospital, Research Centre, Madurai Tamil Nadu 14
Madurai
This information was given by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology
and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on
Wednesday.
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