DST Opens “Aggressive” Bio-Tech Grant Window for 2025-26: Genetic Engineering & Bio-Energy Get Top Priority
By Santosh Sinha | Science & Innovation Desk Date: November 29, 2025
New Delhi: In a move that signals a decisive shift from “basic research” to “product-led innovation,” the Department of Science & Technology (DST) has officially opened a new, aggressive grant window for the fiscal year 2025-26.
Breaking away from traditional funding cycles, this special call for proposals is laser-focused on two high-stakes domains: Genetic Engineering (specifically Gene Editing) and Bio-Energy Solutions.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Union Budget 2025 operationalized the ₹1 Lakh Crore Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) corpus, confirming that the government is ready to write big checks for “Moonshot” biotechnology projects that can solve India’s energy and food security challenges.
The “Aggressive” Mandate: What’s New?
Unlike previous years where grants were capped at modest amounts for academic research, the 2025-26 window is designed for impact and scale.
- Higher Ticket Sizes: Industry insiders report that the funding ceiling for individual consortiums has been raised significantly. The DST is looking to fund Centers of Excellence (CoEs) rather than just isolated lab experiments.
- Fast-Track Approval: To keep pace with global competitors like China and the US, the review timeline has been slashed from 8 months to just 90 days for high-priority projects.
“We are no longer looking for papers; we are looking for patents and prototypes. If you are building a gene-edited crop that resists climate change or a microbe that eats plastic to produce fuel, we have the capital for you,” stated a senior DST official during the launch.
Priority 1: Genetic Engineering (The “BioE3” Push)
This grant window is closely aligned with the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy.
The DST is specifically seeking proposals in CRISPR-Cas9 and Synthetic Biology applications.
- Agri-Tech: Developing climate-resilient seeds that require 50% less water (critical for India’s drying breadbaskets).
- Therapeutics: Indigenous gene therapies for rare diseases like Sickle Cell Anemia, moving India away from expensive imported treatments.
Priority 2: Bio-Energy (The “Fuel of the Future”)
With India’s commitment to reach Net Zero by 2070, Bio-Energy has moved to the center stage. The grant targets the “Second Generation (2G)” challenges that private VC money often ignores due to high risk:
- Algal Biofuels: Scaling up lab-grown algae that can be converted into aviation fuel.
- Waste-to-Energy: Enzymatic solutions that can break down municipal solid waste into bio-hydrogen at 3x the current efficiency.
Eligibility & Collaboration
In a stark departure from the past, the 2025 guidelines mandate Industry-Academia Collaboration.
- Solo Academic Bids Deprioritized: A proposal from an IIT or IISER is significantly more likely to win if it has a startup or corporate partner (like Biocon or Praj Industries) attached to it.
- Startups Included: For the first time, Deep-Tech startups can apply as Principal Investigators (PIs) in joint bids, allowing them to access government infrastructure funds directly.
The Road Ahead
The deadline for the first round of “Expression of Interest” is January 15, 2026.
For the Indian biotech sector, this is the “stimulus moment” they have been waiting for. By prioritizing high-risk, high-reward science, the DST is effectively betting that India’s next Unicorn won’t be a fintech app, but a molecule.