DBT-BIRAC Joint Rolling Call: Establishing Bio-AI Hubs (Moolankur) under BioE3 Policy

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and BIRAC have announced a significant rolling call for proposals to establish Bio-AI Hubs, branded as मूलांकुर (Moolankur). This initiative is a cornerstone of the BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment), aiming to integrate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) with high-performance biomanufacturing.

Strategic Scope: Five Key Research Verticals

The call focuses on programmatic research where AI is not just a tool but an integrated part of a “closed-loop” platform (Predictions → Experiments → Analysis).

Vertical	Key Problem Statements
Biomolecular Design	Engineering novel proteins, RNA-based antibodies, and de novo enzymes; constructing programmable bio-nanomachines.
Sustainable Agriculture	Engineering drought-resistant crops; AI-powered drone/IR sensing for disease; predictive milk production modeling.
Synthetic Biology	AI-optimized metabolic pathways for biofuels; microbial strain engineering; engineered organisms as environmental sensors.
Ayurveda	AI-driven Pharmacogenomics; Herb-Drug interaction modeling; standardization and plant-based drug discovery mining.
Genome Diagnostics	Risk prediction for diabetes/CVD; single-cell and spatial genomics for tumors; neurodegenerative risk stratification.

Financial and Project Guidelines

Grant Amount: Up to ₹25 Crore per proposal, based on merit.
Project Duration: 2 Years.
Model: Hub and Spoke. Leading organizations with high-end computational infrastructure will anchor the hubs, while startups and other labs act as spokes.
Constraint: This grant is not for independent research or building basic infrastructure; it must be a multidisciplinary, programmatic effort led by a coordinator.

Eligibility Criteria

The call is open to interdisciplinary teams from academia, startups, and industry.

Academic Institutions: Must be SIRO-recognized. The Principal Investigator (PI) must have at least 4 years of service remaining.
Industry/Startups: Must have at least 51% Indian shareholding. Partnership with academia is highly encouraged.
Submission Portals:
- Academia-only projects: Submit via DBT e-ProMIS.
- Industry/Industry-Academia projects: Submit via BIRAC Website.

Evaluation and Deadlines

Proposals will be evaluated on scientific merit, the necessity of using AI over conventional methods, and the capability of the team to host Large Language Models (LLMs) or foundational models for ‘omics’ data.

Announcement Date: 19 January 2026
Last Date for Submission: 30 June 2026 (Midnight)
Evaluation: This is a Rolling Call, meaning proposals are reviewed periodically as they are received.