La Trobe’s Australia-India bio-innovation corridor fosters cross-cultural ideas exchange

A strategic collaboration between Australia’s La Trobe University and the Bangalore Bio Innovation Centre is strengthening the global biotechnology sector.

Established in 2024, La Trobe’s Bio Innovation Corridor connects Australia and India through research and entrepreneurship, building strong pathways for success.

The university’s Eagleworks Innovation Centre has worked with organisations including the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Asian Smart Cities Research Innovation Network (ASCRIN) to harness opportunities.

Through these collaborations, Eagleworks has so far supported the growth of more than 15 Indian startups and facilitated engagement and exchange opportunities for about 100 researchers. In 2025, Eagleworks’ inaugural India-Australia LaunchPad PitchFest saw 12 Indian startups compete for an in-country immersion program in Australia. 

‘The Bio-Innovation Corridor was an initiative to engage and bring forward the innovation ecosystem and research commercialisation in Australia and India,’ says Dr Cerasela Tanasescu, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at La Trobe University.

‘We support Australian and Indian startups to access each other’s market by sharing resources and working together on research projects.’

For Dr Tanasescu, Bengaluru was the right starting point to build on Australia-India startup relations.

‘It’s the innovation capital of the nation, with strengths that complement the Victorian ecosystem, in biotech and agtech, in particular,’ Dr Tanasescu says. 

‘The opportunity is to take the best of two worlds and put them together; to create successful entrepreneurs who operate across two cultures.

‘What we want is for our researchers to have access to innovators from Australia and from India so we can have more impact in the world.’

Transforming the lives of startup founders 

The India-Australia PitchFest has been life-changing for participants.  

The winner of the pitchfest, Suchitha Raghunathan, leads Microbeworks, a startup harnessing microbial science to produce safer and more environmentally friendly textile dyes.

She was one of four founders to travel to Australia following the competition, where she connected with labs, researchers and industry.

According to Dr Tanasescu, between mentorship, a network of peers and exposure to another cultural outlook, Raghunathan realised the path to commercialisation was through working directly with brands.

She later became one of 10 winners of H&M’s Global Change Award for 2026, receiving €200,000 in grant funding. 

Another participating founder had the opportunity to pitch at EvokeAg in Perth at the start of 2026, while a third is now actively exploring validating products in the Australian market. 

‘The startups who went through the program are very happy. They’ve had pathways to successes, with significant wins. Each of them has been transformed,’ Dr Tanasescu says.

‘The program didn’t only help with implementing in Australia; it helped people develop as entrepreneurs because of the dual mindset developed through mentorship. They started to approach problems differently.’

Indian startup founders and representatives from Bangalore Bio Innovation Centre travelled to Australia to meet with senior leaders from La Trobe University.

Profile support from Austrade

As La Trobe built the program in India, Austrade made introductions to key industry players in universities and industry, and even suggested mentors for participants.

Austrade also created opportunities to boost La Trobe’s profile locally, including exhibiting at the Bangalore Tech Summit and showcasing the program at roundtables and other events.

‘We couldn’t have generated as much awareness of our program without Austrade,’ Dr Tanasescu says. ‘That was extremely helpful, commercially speaking.’ 

Austrade was a champion of the project from the beginning, with the team proactively presenting opportunities for support. 

‘We never had to ask for anything,’ Dr Tanasescu says. ‘Instead, Austrade asked: “How can we help?”’

Broadening horizons

One year in, Dr Tanasescu says La Trobe is looking to build on the success of the Bio Innovation Corridor.  

The team is exploring expansion in Bengaluru and hoping to replicate that success in other innovation hubs such as Chennai and Hyderabad. 

‘We’re also looking for Indian-Australian relationships to expand into Europe and Singapore,’ she says.

‘We can create a platform where Australian and Indian startups could access other markets too.’

Two of the most valuable things to come out of the program so far are the working relationships and genuine friendships developed between Indian and Australian entrepreneurs and researchers, Dr Tanasescu says. 

Building on that can only lead to mutual success.

‘When you have entrepreneurs who are immersed in a country with a different way of working, building together with their peers, that is what drives us forward, that is where innovation happens,’ says Dr Tanasescu.

‘They’re supporting each other and helping each other.’

Advice for startups: Look before you leap 

For startups looking to build an international presence right from the beginning, Dr Tanasescu’s advice is to take it slow and to make sure to look before you leap.

‘Startups have to be technologically at a point of readiness where they can afford to give this time to expand the market,’ she says.

‘If they’re developing a product but it’s not ready yet, they probably will not be ready for this kind of program.’

Dr Tanasescu says entering a new market takes time and requires a certain level of understanding of the business culture. 

‘Establishing relationships takes time in India, maybe a little bit more so than in Australia. But when you establish them, they can be very, very strong.

‘Austrade does a lot to support those friendly relationships.’