C-CAMP flags off 4th edition of National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition

New Delhi: Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India officially declared open the fourth edition of C-CAMP organized National Bio-Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) in a virtual launch on 7th September that was attended by many stakeholders of the Indian and global biotech innovation ecosystem.

NBEC, one of India’s largest and most prestigious national competition for bio entrepreneurs is held by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, or C-CAMP every year to attract, identify and nurture pathbreaking deep science-driven business ideas. The competition is a nationwide search for ideas with significant potential for societal impact in the life sciences domain.

Conducted as a part of BREC – the BIRAC Regional Entrepreneurship Centre, established at C-CAMP in partnership with BIRAC, NBEC is entering its fourth consecutive year in 2020.

This year, NBEC is diving even deeper in search for innovators and entrepreneurs. It has added a special student vertical for NBEC 2020, in addition to start-ups and has instituted separate awards for student led teams.

Along with Dr.Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon, Ms. Anju Bhalla, Joint Secretary – DST and MD, BIRAC, Dr Manish Diwan, Head, SPED, BIRAC, and several eminent national and international dignitaries joined the virtually conducted event.

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More information about NBEC including application details can be obtained here.

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Dr Swarup in an inspiring message referred to India’s top 50 Global Innovation Index 2020 ranking and said “To rise up further on the global innovation index and establish India as a global innovation hub, we cannot continue to be followers. Innovators in India need to take initiative and seize the day, make the best of opportunities such as NBEC. Together with our vibrant and strong ecosystem of enablers, industry, academia & investors, we can potentially leapfrog to the very top.”

Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon lauded the role NBEC has played in catalyzing bio entrepreneurship in India and said “Translating science to business through entrepreneurial ventures is the biggest testimony to pathbreaking research. Innovators need to know what creates market demand and deliver to meet that demand. The mentorship opportunities that NBEC brings will help meet that crucial gap in market economics skills.”

The National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition 2020 has a total 7.1Cr INR in cash prizes and investment opportunities in the startup category. Besides, winners will also get access to mentorship by key industry leaders and networking opportunities, seed funding and business acceleration networks. Student teams stand to win prizes of upto 10 lakhs including mentorship by leading industry names and networking opportunities.

Over 25 national and international industry partners have joined forces with NBEC this year to reward, mentor and accelerate India’s top emerging bio ventures. They are Biocon Limited, WIN Foundations, Ankur Seeds, L’Oreal, Aurigene, Pfizer, Novozymes, Iqvia, Anthem Biosciences, K&S, Ideaspring, Bioneeds [Prize sponsors] Sangam VC, Social Alpha, Molecular Connections, Enzia Ventures, Villgro, IAN, 91Springboard [Investment partners] Kotak, Biocon, Molecular Connections [Mentorship Partners], HealthVenture, USA [Digital Health Boot Camp Partner], CIIE, ISBA [Associate partners] CII [Apex Industry Association Partner] YourStory [Online Media Partner] AWS [Cloud Partner] and Hello Tomorrow [Paris, France]

Speaking about NBEC’s emergence as a front runner of such pan-India competitions in terms of scale and impact Ms. Anju Bhalla, MD, BIRAC, said “Reaching out to all corners of the country is a remarkable achievement for NBEC as a platform. As is having the 4th edition in as many years.  NBEC is not only about recognition but also about honing entrepreneurial skills and connecting to industry at an early stage.”

Dr Manish Diwan, Head, SPED, BIRAC, speaking at the launch event today said, “NBEC is a vibrant & strong initiative that is nationally recognized & looked forward to now. The industry partnerships it attracts regularly are testimony to the vibrancy of the congregation. Its success also lies in having created the vision for innovators across India, from under all banners, to be integrated into the larger national biotech ecosystem.”

With over 6000 applications received from 34 States & UTs in the past 3 years, NBEC as competition has established a tremendous geographical footprint, unprecedented in Indian bio entrepreneurship landscape. Business ideas received have spanned all sub-domains of Life Sciences, including healthcare, medical devices, digital health, agri-biotech, animal health, clean technology, and industrial biotech. NBEC as a platform identifies and nurtures promising bio-innovators and entrepreneurs from across all these domains. A unique feature of NBEC is an Entrepreneurship Development Boot Camp that trains the shortlisted finalists in important aspects of Entrepreneurship and also provides them an opportunity to interact with mentors from industry and academia.

C-CAMP CEO and Director Dr Taslimarif Saiyed said “NBEC is about building entrepreneurship ground-up in India. With the right keenness to become innovators and an enabling ecosystem where industry and government work in synergy, our innovation quotient can only go higher. The position in top 10 of Global Innovation index is within reach!”