What are Schemes?

Bio-incubation allows harnessing of the entrepreneurial potential of startups by providing access to infrastructure, mentoring as well as networking platforms that the startups could use during their fledgling days. It helps the young entitites to survive by providing them specialised support services during the critical period of a business venture i.e. the start-up phase. While the Bioincubators are able to support the “Space, Services and Knowledge” requirements of startups, wide gap exists in financial support required by a technology driven start up in the initial phase. BIRAC’s initiative -Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Fund (“SEED Fund”) primarily aims to address this need through the Incubators. The basic idea of SEED Fund is providing Capital assistance to startups with new and meritorious ideas, innovations and technologies. This would enable some of these start-ups to graduate to a level where they will be able to raise investments from angel/Venture capitalist or they will reach a position to seek loans from commercial banks /financial institutions. Thus the proposed seed support is positioned to act as a bridge between promoters’ investment and Venture/Angel investment. This is not an investment scheme, but, rather a support scheme to enable start-ups and incubator to attain sustainability.

Generation Based Incentive (GBI) was announced by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for Grid Interactive Wind and Solar Power Projects with the main aim to broaden the investor base, facilitate the entry of large Independent Power Producers and to provide level playing field to various classes of investors. The GBI is provided over and above the feed in tariff approved by State utilities

Under the Scheme, MSMEs will be assisted in reducing their manufacturing costs, through proper personnel management, better space utilization, scientific inventory management, improved processed flows, reduced engineering time and so on. LMCS (Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness Scheme) also brings improvement in the quality of products and lowers costs, which are essential for competing in national and international markets. The larger enterprises in India have been adopting LMCS to remain competitive, but MSMEs have generally stayed away from such Programmes as they are not fully aware of the benefits. Beside these issues, experienced and effective Lean Manufacturing Counsellors or Consultants are not easily available and are expensive to engage and hence most MSMEs are unable to afford LMCS.

BIRAC aims to promote and foster cutting-edge technologies in the field of medical electronics through this scheme. The project IIPME is a partnership project between the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India, and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, a public sector undertaking of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

International cooperation scheme promotes the exports of MSMEs through international exhibitions/ trade fairs, conferences/ summits/workshops. The idea is to give MSMEs . a platform so that their products and services can get global recognition and expand their business.MSME delegations visit other countries to participate in international exhibitions, trade fairs, conferences, etc. The objective is to explore various ways and means to improve the market of MSMEs products through joint ventures, technology infusions, etc.At the same time, international conferences, summits, workshops, etc., related to the MSME sector are organized in India by various bodies.International cooperation scheme provides financial assistance by reimbursing airfare, space rent, freight charges, advertisement & publicity charges, and entry/registration fees for participating in international marketing activities.

Brochure Support is a marketing tool used by National Tourism Offices (NTOs) to promote their tourism products amongst the travel trade and the potential consumer. The India Tourism Offices overseas undertake this activity on regular basis. This support to tour operators etc. is given to ensure that India’s tourism products and packages find place in this brochure and other promotional material produced in the international markets. The startups in the Tourism Industry can use this scheme for marketing their products abroad.

The objective of the Scheme is to facilitate technology up-gradation in MSEs by providing an upfront capital subsidy of 15 per cent (on institutional finance of upto Rs 1 crore availed by them) for induction of well-established and improved technology in the specified 51 sub-sectors/products approved. In other words the major objective is to upgrade their plant & machinery with state-of-the-art technology, with or without expansion and also for new MSEs which have set up their facilities with appropriate eligible and proven technology duly approved under scheme guidelines.

In order to nurture a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) innovation among researchers and to catch them young, provide professional mentoring and support needed, it is imperative that there be a focus on fostering local ecosystems. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has developed a focused strategic action plan to foster the culture of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship in Indian Universities, leveraging the University Innovation Cluster (UIC) and Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) model. Five University clusters as mentioned below have been identified to establish Cluster Innovation Centres: 1. Anna University, Chennai 2. Panjab University, Chandigarh 3. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 4. University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 5. University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad Cluster Innovation Centre in Biotechnology (CIC-B), hosted in these University, are acting as the nerve centre to manage the University Innovation Cluster activities. Along with facilitating the creation of networks, partnerships between stakeholders to strengthen the innovation ecosystem, the CIC-B is providing pre-incubation support to innovative ideas, innovators for effective translation into products thereof.

The programmes under the scheme ‘Export Development and Promotion’ aims to support exporters to adopt high tech processing technologies or to upgrade existing level of technologies for high end value addition and to develop capabilities to meet the changing food safety standards in the importing countries. The scheme also caters to promoting the Indian spices exporter by assisting them in promotion of Indian Goods in International Trade Fairs, Seminars, etc. by reimbursing their  expenditure on the same.

Bio-incubation allows harnessing of the entrepreneurial potential of start ups by providing access to infrastructure as well as mentoring and networking platforms that the start ups could use during their fledgling days. The Startup India Action Plan has necessitate creation of new bio-incubation space that are world class and that can provide cutting edge access to the best bio- incubation environs for propelling innovative ideas towards productization. BIRAC’s focus has been creation of a biotechnology startup environment in the country. It has taken a couple of strategic implementation programmes that span from provide funding to early stage ideas through grants, creation of bioincubators at strategic locations (through BioNEST) and extend mentorship and networking opportunities to startups Through BioNEST, BIRAC has supported 20 bioincubators that are at various stages of operationalization with the cumulative area of 200000 sq.ft. Out of this approximately 100,000 sft space is currently active for incubation. The 20 bioincubators are placed either within academic/research clusters or stand-alone incubators either privately funded or funded by State Governments. The new growth in biotech startups would require either scaling of existing bio-incubation space in current biotech hubs or creation of new bio- incubation space at nascent hubs that have the potential to become bigger biotech hubs in the next decade. Further, the creation of new bio- incubation space should be cognizant about the differential needs of varied nature of biotech startups- especially those that are medtech (including medical electronics hardware), biopharma, agri-biotech and biomaterials.

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has published a revised refinance scheme under the support by The National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) elaborating about the revival of the operations of existing biomass power & small hydro power projects affected due to unforeseen circumstances

Ministry of tourism through this particular aims to project India as a multidimensional tourist destination by inviting the foreign media (stakeholders) to promote the Brand 'India'. This scheme also provides financial assitance to local tourist operators/agencies/travel startups/hoteliers to promote by various activites in NE states and Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme also caters to promotion of unexploited and less visited places. 

The programme on Ayurvedic Biology was initiated primarily by the office of the Principal ScientificAdvisor to the Government of India. The programme, now reconceived, is being implemented by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). Against this background, the SERB constituted a Task Force to promote the application of basic sciences in the investigation of Ayurvedic concepts, procedures and products, and nurture the discipline of Ayurvedic Biology.

Under this scheme the Ministry conducts seminars and reimburses registration fees for bar coding in order to encourage MSEs to use bar-codes.The basic objective of this scheme is to enhance the Marketing competitiveness of Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) by way of: Providing 75% of one time registration fee and annual recurring fee (for first three years) paid by MSEs to GS1 India (GS1 India, an autonomous body under Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India is a solution provider for registration for use of Bar Coding. To become a subscriber of GS1 India, all one has to do is fill up the subscription enquiry or registration form and make the necessary payments as registration fee. Details about registration with GS1 India for use of Bar Coding are available on their website www.gs1india.org).Popularising the adoption of bar codes on large scale amongst MSEs, Motivating and encouraging MSEs for use of bar codes through conducting seminars on Bar Code, etc.

Biotech start up journey, especially for first time entrepreneurs, is full of hurdles, both technological as well as business related such as business plan and market entry strategies, navigating regulatory hurdles, connecting and pitching to VCs and networking with future stakeholders. There is a greater realisation within the biotech community regarding the importance of focused mentorship which can help accelerate nascent biotech start up. BIRAC is therefore envisaging designing and implementing an equity based fund for supporting entrepreneurs in the valley of death.

With Aim of 'Make in India' and 'Zero Defect and Zero Effect' in manufacturing, the government provides credit linked capital investment subsidy. This scheme would facilitate augmenting of investment, productivity, quality, employment, exports and import subsitution in textile industry. It will also indirectly promote investment in textile machinery manufacturing.

The NewGen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (NewGen IEDC) is being promoted in educational institutions to develop institutional mechanism to create entrepreneurial culture in S&T academic institutions and to foster techno-entrepreneurship for generation of wealth and employment by S&T persons. The NewGen IEDCs are established in academic institutions (science colleges, engineering colleges, universities, management institutes) having requisite expertise and infrastructure.  

KITVEN Fund-3 (Biotech) is a SEBI registered Venture Capital Fund having target corpus of Rs. 35.55 crore. The Fund proposes to undertake investments in companies catering to Biotechnology and such other allied sectors within the State of Karnataka. Currently, the Fund has received commitment from State and Central Government firms/ institutions like Karnataka Biotechnology & Information Technology Services (KBITS), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and KSIIDC BIRAC.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of our country. AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platforms and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, and create an umbrella structure to oversee the innovation & entrepreneurship ecosystem of the country.

The startups require intensive networking and information about other business ventures. This scheme provides information on business, technology and finance to MSMEs, and also exhibit core competencies of Indian SMEs. This is done through MSME Global mart - www.msmemart.com. These information is available through annual membership of the portal.A free membership plan is also provided with limited access and services and a Gold membership plan for SC/STs is also provided with full access and services, which is free of charge.