Govt launches BRIC–BIRAC Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme

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Speaking at the inauguration of NHP-ABSL-3 Facility while delivering the inaugural address at the Second Foundation Day Celebration of "Biotechnology Research & Innovation Council" (BRIC) held at BRIC–National Institute of Immunology (NII), Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; Dr Jitendra Singh observed that India is already initiated into next industrial revolution driven by biotechnology .

The Minister noted that India is one of the few countries to have an exclusive dedicated Biotechnology policy BiOE3. He commended the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for emerging as one of the most dynamic and integrated scientific ecosystems in the Government of India.

Additionally, Dr Jitendra Singh launched BRIC–BIRAC Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme. The Union Minister recalled that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the decision to merge 14 autonomous biotechnology institutions under a single umbrella—BRIC, was a transformative reform that strengthened coordination, innovation, and impact across India’s biotechnology sector.

He also announced the establishment of the BRIC Bio-Enterprise Innovation Park on a 200-acre campus in Faridabad to promote innovation-led entrepreneurship.

In his address, Dr Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, DBT and DG, BRIC, highlighted the achievements of BRIC institutions over the past three years — 3,190 publications, 107 patents, 13 technologies commercialized, 2,578 PhD scholars, and 678 post-doctoral fellows currently contributing to the research network. He also noted that BRIC ranks number one in biological sciences in India, as per Nature’s Pringles Index.