TNAU faculty apprise Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, P. Venkataramanan, about the entrepreneurial initiatives of COXBIT Food Pro Expo 2026 held recently at Chennai Trade Centre.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology (COXBIT), a Section 8 Company promoted by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), has sought funding from the Central Government under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) operated through incubators.The scheme provides for financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation. The start ups will reach a level where they will be able to raise investments from angel investors or venture capitalists or seek loans from commercial banks or financial institutions.A biotech innovation platform advancing research sustainable agriculture and food processing through advanced facilities and public private partnership, the primary focus areas of COXBIT constitute Biotechnology; Food and Beverages, Food Processing and Restaurants; Research and Development; Healthcare and Lifesciences; and Agriculture, Horticulture, Organic Farming and Fisheries.Additional areas of interest encompass Information Technology, SAAS, Software, Information Technology Enabled Services, Fertilizers and Pharmaceuticals.Featuring high-end infrastructure, COXBIT, has, in the food sector alone, incubated 20 start ups, out of which 10 are funded by Tamil Nadu Food Processing and Agri Export Promotion Corporation.The 1.06 lakh-sq.ft. facility encompasses knowledge and cabin space which can be occupied by start-ups, student entrepreneurs and established companies for research and development activities, N. Senthil, Director, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology that runs the COXBIT, said.Start ups promoted by COXBIT recently showcased their products earlier this month at the Food Pro Expo 2026 held at Chennai Trade Centre.The COXBIT team explained to the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, P. Venkataramanan, the Centre’s initiatives for promoting food innovation and supporting startups in transforming research and innovative ideas into market-ready products.COXBIT highlighted its integrated startup support ecosystem, including facilitation of financial assistance and funding opportunities, access to state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for product development and validation, technical guidance and mentoring and dedicated working spaces for product development, Prof. Senthil said. Published - August 13, 2026 08:38 pm IST
