Jitendra Singh announces first national call of the ₹2,000 crore BIRAC–RDI Fund for biotech
Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced the first national call of the ₹2,000 crore BIRAC–RDI Fund under the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation initiative in New Delhi on 13 February 2026.
Summary
Union Minister Jitendra Singh announced the first national call of the ₹2,000 crore BIRAC–RDI Fund on 13 February 2026, to scale up high-impact biotechnology innovations under the government's ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) initiative. He said India's biotech startups have grown from about 50 in 2014 to more than 11,000, and that the bioeconomy, about $8 billion in 2014, is targeted to reach $300 billion by 2030. DBT Secretary Rajesh S. Gokhale said the fund supports long-gestation, high-risk research and complements the BioE3 Policy.
Key facts
- Date
- 13 February 2026
- Fund
- ₹2,000 crore BIRAC–RDI Fund, first national call
- Parent initiative
- ₹1 lakh crore RDI initiative
- Biotech startups
- About 50 (2014) to 11,000+
- Bioeconomy target
- $300 billion by 2030
Practice MCQs 1 questions
What is the size of the BIRAC–RDI Fund whose first national call was announced on 13 February 2026?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — ₹2,000 crore
The BIRAC–RDI Fund is ₹2,000 crore, under the ₹1 lakh crore RDI initiative.