ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (IIAB), Ranchi

Is this centre the right fit

• It suits agriculture-based ideas and products you want to take to market, and existing agri-businesses that want to add value or new ventures.
• Mentors can help with ideation, prototype development, pilot testing and beta customer feedback.
• Ask about intellectual property support early if your product or process is new.

How to apply

• Fill in the application form linked from the centre's page on the institute website.
• Expect an interview or video conference with the ABI committee and mentors.
• Selected applicants receive a letter of admission and sign an agreement before incubation starts.
• Licence, royalty and work-share terms are settled before technology is handed over.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (IIAB) in Ranchi runs an Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) Centre for people building businesses around agriculture. The institute was established under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and works across plant, animal, fish and microbial biotechnology.

What the centre offers

The ABI centre provides physical, technical, business and networking support to emerging agri-businesses and entrepreneurs. It was launched under the National Agricultural Innovation Fund (NAIF, Component II) scheme of ICAR. Mentors support ideas from generation through validation, product or prototype development, pilot-scale testing for processed products, and validation based on feedback from beta customers. Technical guidance continues through the incubation period, and the centre also helps with registration and certification.

Hands-on training is available in the institute's laboratories and farm infrastructure. Incubatees can also get help with business plans, pitch preparation and project presentations, and with linkages to government funding agencies. The centre also helps incubatees attract grants, seed funders, angel investors and venture capitalists. The centre supports logo design, product promotion and market networking to a certain extent, and helps protect intellectual property. Mentors help file patents or trademarks for the process, product or brand developed during incubation.

Who can apply

The centre is for people with innovative ideas in agricultural production and utilization who want to turn them into a business. It also serves people who want to start an enterprise on existing agricultural technologies, entrepreneurs already running a business who want to refine or add value to their products, and enterprises that want to add new ventures in agricultural production or use. People and firms that want the centre's consultancy, mentorship or technical and IP management services without full incubation can also approach it.

How selection works

The centre's process runs in stages. Mentors invite technologies, and entrepreneurs express interest and submit an application. Selected applicants attend an interview or video conference with the ABI committee and mentors. The committee makes a recommendation, the competent authority approves it, and the selected candidate receives a letter of admission. The incubatee then accepts an agreement, pays an admission fee where one applies, and receives the technology package from the mentors. Licence, royalty and work-share formalities are finalised before the incubation phase begins. Progress is reported monthly, quarterly or yearly, and the institute carries out a yearly audit for any sales and royalty.

Track record

The centre's 2024 activity included awareness and sensitisation programmes for students, farmers and stakeholders, and a sensitisation session on the BIRAC Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) held at ICAR-NISA on May 15, 2024. An incubatee completed incubation at the centre on March 28, 2024 and received a graduation certificate at a ceremony led by the institute's director. The institute's 2025 highlights report 260 participants across seven agribusiness incubation programmes, including the Tribal Agri-Entrepreneurship Summit.

Location

The institute is at Ring Road, Garhkhatanga, Ranchi 834003, Jharkhand.