C‑CAMP to receive Rs 500 crore from government’s RDI Fund to boost biotech startups

C‑CAMP secures Rs 500 crore under the RDI Fund

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C‑CAMP) has been chosen as one of five Focused Research Organisations (FROs) in the government’s Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund. The announcement carries a direct funding commitment of Rs 500 crore to accelerate biotechnology start‑ups that are at Technology Readiness Level 4 or higher.

Building a Rs 1,000 crore‑plus consortium

C‑CAMP will partner with private investors and venture‑capital firms to raise more than Rs 1,000 crore in total, combining public money with private patient capital. The consortium is designed to back deep‑tech life‑science ventures that can generate impact in India’s health, agriculture, food security and environmental sustainability sectors.

Government backing and broader context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the RDI Fund on 3 November 2025 as a Rs 1 lakh crore, six‑year programme intended to draw private‑sector money into high‑risk, high‑potential research areas. The Union Cabinet approved the fund on 1 July 2025. Across the initiative, five FROs – IISc, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, BITS Pilani and C‑CAMP – share a combined allocation of Rs 7 131 crore, alongside 14 venture‑capital firms acting as second‑level fund managers.

C‑CAMP’s mandate and early wins

"Lack of funding should no longer be a bottleneck for India's biotech innovators," said Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, Director‑CEO of C‑CAMP, in a statement. He added that the organisation will focus on both patient capital that nurtures ideas and disciplined investment that steers commercial trajectories. The RDI Fund has already supported 22 start‑ups through direct project funding, two of which – Eyestem Research and Peptris Technologies – sit in C‑CAMP’s portfolio.

A step toward a "Viksit Bharat"

Dr Saiyed framed the selection as a contribution to nation‑building, aiming for a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047. By mobilising private capital and leveraging its extensive network across the biotech ecosystem, C‑CAMP hopes to position Indian deep‑tech start‑ups on a global competitive footing.

What comes next?

The RDI Fund’s next phase will involve assessing applications that meet the TRL‑4 threshold and channeling the Rs 500 crore into pilot projects and scale‑up activities. C‑CAMP expects the consortium to attract additional private‑sector commitments, further expanding the capital pool for transformative biotech innovation.