Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biomedical Research Career Programme

In 1986, biotechnology barely existed as a policy category in India. A brand-new government department was betting on it anyway, and four decades later, that bet includes a ₹1,500 crore research programme co-funded from London.

Timeline

• 1982: The National Biotechnology Board is set up, laying groundwork for a dedicated department.
• February 1986: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is established under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• 2008-09: DBT and the Wellcome Trust, UK, launch BRCP Phase-I through the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance.
• 2018-19: BRCP Phase-II is implemented, with an expanded portfolio.
• 2025-26 to 2030-31: BRCP Phase-III’s tenure runs.
• 15 July 2026: Dr. Jitendra Singh formally launches BRCP Phase-III.

Must Know

• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) was established in February 1986, under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• DBT was one of the world’s first government departments set up solely to focus on biotechnology.
• DBT’s first Secretary was Dr. S. Ramachandran.
• The Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP) is a joint DBT-Wellcome Trust (UK) fellowship programme. It runs through the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, first launched in 2008-09.
• On 15 July 2026, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched BRCP Phase-III, with a total outlay of ₹1,500 crore.
• Of this, ₹1,000 crore comes from DBT and ₹500 crore from the Wellcome Trust, UK.

Good to Know

• DBT’s mandate covers research and applications across the life sciences. Early priorities included molecular biology, agricultural and medical sciences, and microbial technology.
• Autonomous institutes brought under DBT’s umbrella include the National Institute of Immunology and the National Centre for Cell Science.
• BRCP Phase-III’s tenure runs from FY 2025-26 to FY 2030-31. A further servicing period, through 2037-38, will cover fellowships and grants approved during the main tenure.
• BRCP Phase-III aims to train over 2,000 students and postdoctoral fellows, and generate high-impact publications and patentable discoveries.
• The programme targets a 10-15% increase in support to women researchers. It also wants 25-30% of collaborative programmes to reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or above.
• BRCP Phase-III also aims to expand research activity into tier-2 and tier-3 cities, beyond India’s traditional research hubs.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. In which year was the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) established?

1982

1986

1994

2008

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Great to Know

• DBT-backed institutions include SciTech0092 — THSTI, which moves lab research toward real-world healthcare products.
• DBT and GenSci0027 — ICMR both fund biomedical research, but occupy different lanes. DBT backs foundational biotechnology and researcher careers, while ICMR runs India’s medical research institutes directly.
• DBT helped shape IndEco0199 — Bioeconomy Roadmap 2035, NITI Aayog‘s 2026 national plan for India’s biotechnology sector.
• BRCP’s international partnership with the Wellcome Trust has spanned three phases since 2008. That is a rare case of sustained foreign philanthropic co-funding inside an Indian government scheme.
• Targeting TRL4 (Technology Readiness Level 4) reflects a specific ambition: pushing lab discoveries out of pure research and toward validated, real-world technology.

Current Affairs

• 16 July 2026: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced India’s first Engineering Biology graduation course. He called it a step toward an independent, sovereign biotechnology ecosystem. (Source: PIB)
• The Minister compared Engineering Biology’s coming role to that of Computer Science in the digital revolution. IITs have already begun submitting proposals for interdisciplinary programmes with medical institutions. (Source: PIB)
• The course was announced alongside a new roadmap, “Building India as a Leading Bioeconomy Powerhouse by 2035.” Dr. Singh said India’s bioeconomy has grown from about USD 10 billion in 2014 to about USD 95 billion today. (Source: PIB)
• India is now home to more than 11,000 biotechnology start-ups. DBT Secretary Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale said the sector is growing 15-18% annually, among the world’s fastest-growing bioeconomies. (Source: PIB)