New Delhi: The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a public sector undertaking of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) organized the two-day Innovators Conclave and Bio-Innovation Fair at New Delhi on 21-22 September 2017. The theme for the annual conclave held for the 6th time was ‘Bio-Innovations: Propelling the Bio-economy’.
Inaugurating the conclave, the Chief Guest, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, said, “BIRAC led by the DBT is playing a catalytic role in building a 100 billion-dollar Indian bio-economy. We are now effectively leveraging the research and entrepreneurial capabilities of this sector to address the needs of our people by creating affordable products that have the potential to change lives and catapult India in to a brighter future. Our Government is focused on making India a global hub for innovation and BIRAC is playing a crucial role in shaping the biotech innovation ecosystem of India.”
The Guest of Honour, Mr YS Chowdary, MoS, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences said, “Over the last 5 years, a foundation has been laid for making India a global leader in biotechnology research and development. We are ensuring that our innovators and indigenous products receive the encouragement and support to make their mark on the international biotech stage. We are very proud of the impact that BIRAC has generated in such a short span and this Innovation Conclave is a testament to it.”
The Conclave brought together nearly 300 innovators and startups, scientists from industry and academia, public and private sector, policymakers, and national and international organisations.
As per BIRAC, it has provided financial and mentoring support to more than 500 companies, and nearly 500 young entrepreneurs and startups. BIRAC’s partnership network includes more than 15 implementing agencies both national and international, nearly 700 national experts from academia, industry, public and private research laboratories, donor agencies and other government departments that can contribute towards building the innovation ecosystem of India.
Dr K VijayRaghavan, Secretary, DBT and Chairman, BIRAC during the event said, “The country’s biotech startup landscape has shown immense growth over the last five years. BIRAC was created to bridge the space between policy, industry and academia in the biotech sector and bring all stakeholders together on one platform. Our impact on the biotech innovation landscape is clearly visible.”
