The government-backed incubator will combine the allocation with private investment to create a consortium worth more than ₹1,000 crore for higher-risk biotech ventures nearing commercialisation.
India’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms has been chosen for a major government push to widen deep-tech funding, with the Department of Biotechnology-backed incubator set to receive ₹500 crore as one of five focused research organisations under the Research, Development and Innovation Fund. The allocation, which is part of a wider ₹1 lakh crore initiative announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2025, is aimed at backing higher-risk technologies that are further along than basic research but still need patient capital to reach the market. According to C-CAMP, the public money will be paired with private investment to build a consortium worth more than ₹1,000 crore, giving biotech start-ups a larger pool of support for work in healthcare, agriculture and environmental science. The organisation said the fund would help back innovations that are too early or too risky for conventional financing, while director-chief executive Taslimarif Saiyed said the goal was to ensure funding no longer blocks Indian biotech companies from competing globally. The government’s second-level fund manager list includes 19 managers in all, with the five focused research organisations comprising the Indian Institute of Science, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, BITS Pilani and C-CAMP. The scheme has already supported 22 start-ups directly, including Eyestem Research and Peptris Technologies from C-CAMP’s portfolio, as the government tries to close a long-standing gap in capital for deep-tech ventures. C-CAMP also said the funding will target technologies at technology readiness level four and above, meaning projects that have moved beyond the laboratory and are closer to commercial use.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
