The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), a hub for life sciences research and innovation, has selected 15 startups and four teams to participate in the National Entrepreneurship Contest in Life Sciences (NBEC) 2026.
According to an official statement, the winning startups will receive a total prize money and investment opportunities worth 35 crore rupees, while student teams have won 4 lakh rupees in cash prizes. This event is the ninth edition of NBEC, which is C-CAMP's flagship platform designed to identify future entrepreneurs in the life sciences sector.
Over the past eight years, C-CAMP has provided more than 90 crore rupees in prize money and investment opportunities to over 130 winners. Furthermore, it is noted that previous laureates have attracted over $125 million in venture capital and launched more than 300 products.
More than 3200 people from 34 states and territories participated in this year's contest, with 40% of applicants being women. The finalists, including 25 participants, were selected based on criteria such as novelty, scalability, and business potential.
Among the solutions presented were areas such as next-generation cancer pathology, kidney damage screening using quantum sensing, affordable insulin patch pumps, smart agrochemical spraying on farms using satellite imagery, and bioformulation for soil improvement.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson of Biocon, stated: 'The future of biology looks very promising as its convergence with digital technologies and artificial intelligence accelerates innovation at unprecedented rates.' She also added that this C-CAMP initiative will help create a strong economy for rising India and boost the country's bioeconomy from 195 billion to 2.6 trillion by 2047.
C-CAMP CEO Taslimarif Sayed emphasized: 'We want Indian innovators to aim higher and trust ecosystems like C-CAMP, which support an ecosystem conducive to the growth of your scientific developments and businesses.' Investors in this program include organizations such as Social Alpha, Ideaspring Capital, Java Capital, TiE Global, and Anicut Capital.