FABA Awards
About the Awards
If you know of work quietly changing biotechnology, it's time the world knew it.
Honouring Excellence in Biotechnology — recognising innovation, leadership, and contributions to life sciences shaping the future of global healthcare.
The FABA and Shantha Excellence Award for Young Scientist and the FABA and Shantha Excellence Awards for Doctoral Students (Male & Female) recognise India's brightest biotechnology talent — from breakthrough drug discovery to translational doctoral research.
Presented in partnership with Shantha and Dr. K. I. Varaprasada Reddy, the awards honour scientists and entrepreneurs whose work advances scientific discovery, strengthens health systems, and delivers meaningful public health impact.
Applications are free of charge and open to India's entire biotech and life sciences community — evaluated on scientific merit alone, by a jury of eminent scientists, industry leaders, and FABA members.
The awards combine substantive cash grants with public recognition — not applause for past achievement, but investment in what comes next.
What Sets FABA Awards Apart
There are awards. And then there are institutions. The distinction lies in architecture.
01
Grants, Not Just Trophies
Substantive cash grants paired with national recognition — a mechanism that accelerates what comes next, not just celebrates the past.
02
Rooted in Legacy
Presented in partnership with Shantha Biotechnics, founded by Dr. K. I. Varaprasada Reddy, whose affordable Hepatitis B vaccine transformed public health across India.
03
Full-Spectrum Recognition
From under-35 innovators to doctoral scholars — excellence, wherever it resides, has an equal opportunity to be seen.
04
Rigorous & Independent
An independent jury of scientists, industry leaders, and FABA members assesses every nomination on merit alone.
The Award Categories
Three honours, one commitment to excellence
The FABA and Shantha Excellence Awards, honouring individual innovation and doctoral research.
Individual Excellence · ₹5,00,000
FABA and Shantha Excellence Award for Young Scientist
Recognises exceptional young innovators and entrepreneurs under 40 demonstrating breakthrough commercial potential or policy impact in biotechnology.
Eligibility
- Must be under 40 years of age as on the application closing date
- Working in drug discovery or translation of research into products
- Open to self-nomination or nomination by a peer or mentor
Doctoral Research (Male) · ₹1,00,000
FABA and Shantha Excellence Award for Doctoral Students (Male)
Honours an outstanding male doctoral student for scientific research in life sciences with genuine societal impact.
Eligibility
- Enrolled or recently graduated Ph.D. scholars in life sciences
- Demonstrated original research with real-world application potential
- Nomination by supervisor, institution, or self-application
Doctoral Research (Female) · ₹1,00,000
FABA and Shantha Excellence Award for Doctoral Students (Female)
Honours an outstanding female doctoral student for scientific research in life sciences with genuine societal impact.
Eligibility
- Enrolled or recently graduated Ph.D. scholars in life sciences
- Demonstrated original research with real-world application potential
- Nomination by supervisor, institution, or self-application
Applications are free of charge and open to India's entire biotech and life sciences community.
Who Can Apply
The FABA Awards are open to India's entire scientific community, across disciplines, career stages, and sectors.
Young Scientists
Individual scientists and entrepreneurs under 35 working in biotech, pharma, and public health.
Doctoral Scholars
Ph.D. candidates and postdocs pursuing original research in the life sciences.
Academic Institutions
Universities and research institutes nominating outstanding scholars on their behalf.
Mentors & Peers
Anyone who knows of work quietly changing biotechnology can put forward a nomination.
Startups & Entrepreneurs
Early-stage founders translating biotech research into real products and platforms.
Industry Professionals
Researchers within pharma and biotech companies driving translational advances.
Award categories
Three
Applications
Free to apply
Founded
FABA, 2005
Recognised So Far
Past awardees
Young Innovator · 2024
Reema Rawat
UPES
Portable electrochemical biosensor for cervical cancer (HPV-16) screening.
Doctoral Student · 2024
Sandeep Sehrawat
NIPER, S.A.S. Nagar
BiSpekDAb™ — engineered antibody for severe asthma.
Doctoral Student · 2024
Pragya Gupta
CSIR-IGIB, New Delhi
CRISPR/Cas9 fetal hemoglobin reactivation for β-thalassemia & sickle cell disease.
Young Innovator · ₹5L
Dr. Pankti Ganatra
Advanced 3D printing platforms for personalized medicines & nutraceuticals.
Doctoral Student · ₹1L
Dr. Shantanu Sen
IIT Kanpur
Chemically modified human insulin for enhanced therapy.
Doctoral Student · ₹1L
Srinivas Duvvada
University of Hyderabad
Next-generation vaccine strategies using extracellular vesicles.
Doctoral Student · ₹1L
Ms. Pooja Sawant
ICT Mumbai
Advanced 3D in-vitro lung models for drug development.
Governance
An independent process, governed by eminence.
FABA Leadership
The FABA Awards are convened by the Federation's leadership, which sets the standards of the platform and safeguards its integrity across every edition.
Independent Jury
Awardees are selected by a jury of eminent scientists, industry leaders, and FABA members who evaluate every nomination on scientific merit alone.
FABA Secretariat
Headquartered in Hyderabad, the FABA Secretariat administers the nomination and evaluation process to ensure transparency at every stage.
Organised By
FABA
Past Editions Supported By
NATCO Pharma
Govin Capitals
1993 – Present
Shantha Biotechnics, Inc. Legacy
Shantha Biotechnics, Inc. Legacy
1996
Origins
Founded by Dr. K. I. Varaprasada Reddy, with a single mission: make life-saving vaccines affordable for every Indian.
Shanvac-B
A First for India
In 1997, Shantha developed India’s first indigenously engineered recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine — cutting the cost from over ₹250 a dose to under ₹50.
Shan5 – ShanChol
Scaling Impact
Its pentavalent and oral cholera vaccines went on to reach over 120 countries, backed by WHO prequalification and UNICEF partnerships.
Legacy
A Name Carried Forward
1950's events forever the same spirit of affordable innovation — pioneered by Dr. K. I. Varaprasada Reddy, promoter of Shantha Biotechnics.
Applications are open, free of charge, to scientists and doctoral scholars across India's biotech ecosystem.
Every young innovator and doctoral scholar has an equal opportunity to be seen.
Federation of Asian Biotech Associations — advancing biotechnology and life sciences globally through collaboration, education, and innovation.
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Contact
Vindya-C4, II Floor, CIE, IIIT
Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032
Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032
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