E-YUVA Scheme and E-YUVA Centres (BIRAC)

What is the E-YUVA scheme?

E-YUVA, helping the Youth for Undertaking Value Added Innovative Translational Research; is a programme of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a public-sector enterprise of the Department of Biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and Technology. According to BIRAC, E-YUVA is designed "to promote a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial innovation among young students and researchers."

The scheme works through physical hubs called E-YUVA Centres (EYCs), set up in universities and institutes and mentored by BIRAC-supported bio-incubators. Through these centres, E-YUVA provides funding (fellowships and research grants), technical and business mentoring, exposure to bio-incubation, and an orientation toward entrepreneurship, so that young people can turn ideas into affordable, society-focused biotech solutions.

Key features

• Delivered through E-YUVA Centres (EYCs) hosted in academic institutions.
• Two tracks: undergraduate teams (E-YUVA Fellows) and postgraduate/doctoral/ postdoctoral candidates (Innovation Fellows).
• Innovation Fellows: fellowship of up to Rs 50,000 per month and a research grant of up to Rs 7.5 lakh (typically over 18 months).
• Undergraduate teams: a quarterly stipend and a research grant of up to Rs 2.5 lakh per team (over 12 months).
• Support includes lab access, mentoring and pre-incubation space.

What is an E-YUVA Centre (EYC)?

An E-YUVA Centre is a pre-incubation hub housed within a university or institute and mentored by an established BIRAC bio-incubator. According to BIRAC, each EYC provides:

• 3,000+ sq ft of pre-incubation space with infrastructure and equipment for basic research and experimentation,
• access to laboratories and domain experts,
• technical and business mentoring, industry connections, and support with patent filing and regulatory compliance, and
• fellowship management for selected students.

The EYC is where a student's E-YUVA journey actually happens, it hosts the project, manages the fellowship and grant, and connects the innovator to the wider bio-incubation ecosystem.

Who is eligible for E-YUVA?

Who can apply

• Young students and researchers in biotechnology and allied fields who have an applied-research or entrepreneurial idea.
• Two tracks by academic level:
• E-YUVA Fellows; undergraduate students, who apply in teams.
• Innovation Fellows — postgraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates.
• Applicants apply through an E-YUVA Centre, with the centre's support.

Who cannot apply / what to note

• You cannot receive an E-YUVA benefit outside an EYC. The fellowship and research grant are routed and managed through the host centre; there is no standalone personal cash benefit paid directly by BIRAC.
• Undergraduate support is given to a team, not to a lone student.
• Because E-YUVA runs periodic calls for proposals, applications are only open when a call is active; there is no permanently open individual window.

How much does E-YUVA provide?

Based on BIRAC's E-YUVA documentation:

Innovation Fellows (postgraduate and above)

• Monthly fellowship: up to Rs 50,000.
• Research grant: up to Rs 7.5 lakh (annual), typically over an 18-month period.
• For postdoctoral candidates, the fellowship over the full term can reach the order of Rs 9 lakh per fellow, alongside the research grant.

E-YUVA Fellows (undergraduate teams)

• A quarterly stipend for each team member (teams are typically about five members).
• Research grant: up to Rs 2.5 lakh per team, over a 12-month period.

Exact stipend and grant figures, team sizes and durations are set out in each call for proposals, so applicants should confirm the current call's terms with their EYC.

What areas of research does E-YUVA support?

E-YUVA invites need-oriented biotechnology proposals across a wide range, healthcare and life sciences, diagnostics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, industrial biotechnology (including food technology and enzymology), agriculture, waste management and clean energy, with room for AI/IoT applications. Interdisciplinary proposals are explicitly encouraged. At least one session in the programme is oriented toward turning research into a viable, society-focused solution.

What documents are required?

How to apply for E-YUVA

The applicant is the student or researcher, but the route runs through an EYC.

1. Find your nearest E-YUVA Centre. EYCs are hosted in universities and institutes across India; the BIRAC E-YUVA page and the centres list the active ones.
2. Wait for an open call for proposals. E-YUVA runs periodic calls; when none is active, applications are closed.
3. Prepare your proposal. The innovation idea, mentor recommendation, proof of academic status and the required undertakings, with the EYC's support.
4. Apply online through the EYC / BIRAC registration portal when the call is open. The EYC helps route your application.
5. Go through national-level selection. Applications are evaluated centrally; selected fellows are hosted at the EYC, which manages the fellowship and grant.

BIRAC's guidance is explicit that for help with the application process, students should contact the E-YUVA Centres directly.

Is E-YUVA open right now?

E-YUVA does not keep a permanently open window; it runs calls for proposals from time to time (past cycles have included multiple calls). When BIRAC has no active call, applications are closed. Prospective applicants should monitor the BIRAC E-YUVA page and their nearest EYC for the next call, and confirm the current fellowship amounts and durations, which are specified per call.

Help and where to verify details

The scheme is described on the BIRAC website (birac.nic.in) under E-YUVA, and it is listed on the national myScheme portal. BIRAC has not published a single dedicated helpline number for E-YUVA; its official guidance is to contact the E-YUVA Centre for application help, and general queries can go to BIRAC. Because E-YUVA is a niche, call-driven programme with figures that vary by cycle, students are best served by working through an EYC rather than relying on any third-party portal.