Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh after inaugurating the inaugural BIRAC-BioNEST Center during his visit to CSIR-CFTRI in Mysuru on Friday. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General CSIR, Giridhar Parvatham, Director CFTRI and others were present. | Photo credit: MA Sriram
The CSIR-CFTRI incubation ecosystem in Mysuru is nurturing many food start-ups and entrepreneurs. Significantly, the incubated companies have applied for 12 patents so far.
On Friday, the BIRAC-BioNEST Incubation Center was launched at the CFTRI campus by Union Minister of State (Independent Representative) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. He was in contact with representatives of start-ups and also witnessed food innovations implemented with the support of CFTRI.
BIRAC-BioNEST was developed to support entrepreneurial talent in food bioprocessing and biotechnology research. The facility supports advanced research, scale-up and efficacy studies related to food bioprocessing and biotechnology. According to CFTRI, it makes it easier for startups to turn innovative concepts into commercially viable technologies.
The initiative was supported by the Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which operates under the Ministry of Biotechnology, Government of India.
To date, the CFTRI Incubation Center has supported 26 start-ups, including 12 physical incubators, 11 hybrid incubators and three graduated enterprises. Many of these start-ups have successfully launched and commercialized products, reflecting the centre’s focus on market readiness.
“Start-ups operate in cutting-edge areas such as CRISPR technology, nutraceuticals, precision fermentation, probiotics and postbiotics, and plant-based products, with an emphasis on future-ready biotech innovation,” the CFTRI report said.
CFTRI said the Indian Army has shown interest in the incubated innovations during several high-profile visits in 2025 and 2026.
As the institute conducts nearly 30-35 training programs every year, it proposed to upgrade its infrastructure and therefore came up with a proposal to build a hostel for the benefit of the participants, including farmers, FPOs, SHGs, cluster representatives and so on. This project has been taken up under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), which empowers states to develop agriculture and allied sectors by promoting entrepreneurship, the note said.
During his visit, the minister performed a bhoomi puja for the hostel facility at the MG Halli campus, meant for farmers and SHGs sponsored under the RKVY Center project.
The minister also visited the Center of Excellence on Millets and took part in a group photo with CFTRI staff against the backdrop of the iconic palace building.
The proposed hostel complex consists of a classroom (50 participants), twin-sharing accommodation, kitchen and dining facilities and other facilities. According to CFTRI, “The hostel will be ready in a year and is expected to enhance the institute’s skill development initiatives to support the needs of the Indian food industry as well as the government’s ‘Skill India’ initiative in food processing.”
Published – 03 Apr 2026 19:09 IST
