How much is the BIRAC BIG grant for biotech startups in India?

BIRAC says successful BIG innovators receive "up to" ₹50 lakh, so it is a ceiling, not a fixed award. What a startup receives depends on the project BIRAC approves.

The figures side by side

How we got this number

1. Open BIRAC's own page for the BIG scheme (birac.nic.in, last updated 2 November 2026) and read the amount and duration: INR 50 lakh as grant-in-aid for a period of 18 months.
2. Read the same page's second statement, which says successful BIG innovators receive up to INR 50 lakh for up to 18 months, so 50 lakh is a ceiling.
3. Read the call calendar on the same page: a call is announced twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, and stays open for about 45 days. The scheme is managed through 8 BIG partners.

What this number does not tell you

• This page uses BIRAC's scheme page only. Equity, royalty and eligibility terms sit in the guidelines linked from that page, which we did not read, so this page does not state them. Third-party guides we found disagree on royalty (one says 5% of net sales, another says none).
• Calls change from one round to the next. Read the current call and its guidelines on birac.nic.in before applying.
• The page gives the call dates as a calendar, not as an open call. We cannot say from it whether a call is open today.

Sources

1. BIRAC, Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG), 2 November 2026Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme is the flagship programme of BIRAC which supports young startups. 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.
2. BIRAC, Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme (BIG) (call calendar), 2 November 2026As part of this scheme, successful BIG Innovators receive up to INR 50 lakh for research projects with commercialization potential with duration of up to 18 months. Call announcement calendar: The call for proposal is announced twice a year, i.e. on 1st January and 1st July. Call for proposals typically remains open for about 45 days. The BIG Scheme is currently managed through 8 BIG Partners across the country

Questions people ask

How much is the BIRAC BIG grant?

Up to ₹50 lakh per project as grant-in-aid, for up to 18 months, according to BIRAC's scheme page (last updated 2 November 2026).

Does BIRAC take equity under the BIG grant?

BIRAC's scheme page describes BIG as grant-in-aid and says nothing about equity. Equity and royalty terms are in the guidelines linked from the page, which this page does not cover. Read them before applying.

When does the next BIG call open?

BIRAC says a call is announced twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July, and stays open for about 45 days.

Who runs the BIG scheme?

BIRAC, set up by the Department of Biotechnology. The page says the scheme is managed through 8 BIG partners across the country.

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This figure is from BIRAC's own release or a report quoting it. We recheck it half-yearly. If you have a newer or better source, send it to us.