EIR Programme Emerging As Key Catalyst For Biotech Startups, Says Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, Nov 27 (KNN) Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh on Wednesday highlighted the rising popularity and impact of the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme.

He called it a key driver of India’s biotechnology innovation ecosystem, speaking at the third Annual General Meeting of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) in New Delhi. 

‘BRIC Annual Report 2025’ and a booklet titled Catalysing Innovation: BRIC Networked Interdisciplinary Research Programs was also released during the meeting.

The Minister said the initiative is nurturing a new generation of scientists with entrepreneurial skills by encouraging market-focused research and supporting the transition from laboratory innovations to commercial ventures. 

Dr. Singh noted that the programme has attracted strong interest from private industry and venture capital, boosting technology translation and startup creation within India’s public R&D system.

He also praised BRIC as a successful model of institutional consolidation, describing it as the first major attempt to bring multiple research institutes under one umbrella. 

The Minister emphasised the need for expanding interdisciplinary partnerships, within science, across sectors, and with industry, to accelerate research outcomes and strengthen India’s role in the global biotech landscape.

Ongoing collaborations with institutions such as Christian Medical College and Apollo Hospitals were cited as examples of effective integration.

He underlined India’s progress in adopting Artificial Intelligence for biological research and urged scientists to strengthen outreach through improved digital communication. 

He also noted BRIC’s contributions to India’s global biotech profile, especially through advances in vaccine development and the establishment of four biofoundries under the government’s BioE3 Policy.

(KNN Bureau)