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The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has recently notified the amendments to the Rs. 5,000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme which will build an advanced R&D infrastructure across the country. Of course, the scheme offers the pharmaceutical industry an opportunity to build IP-driven products and not just remain a generics powerhouse. Under the amended scheme, for early stage projects, MSMEs and startups can apply for projects costing up to Rs. 9 crore for assistance of up to Rs. 5 crore. For later stage projects, projects of industry, MSMEs and startups costing up to Rs. 285 crore may apply for assistance up to Rs. 100 crore. The scale of financial assistance for early stage projects is 100% for cost up to Rs. 1 crore and 50% of additional cost beyond Rs. 1 crore, subject to a maximum up to Rs. 5 crore. The scale for financial assistance for later stage projects is 35% of project cost, subject to a maximum of Rs. 100 crore. The scheme offers several specific incentives to industry, MSMEs and startups to collaborate with academic and research government institutions of national repute, by providing for preference in selection for up to nine projects each at early and later stages, subject to collaborative development being significant and the collaborative partners/team having strong credentials. Besides financial assistance, the amended scheme provides for development of strong institutional enablers to further nurture the innovation journey. Dedicated industry-focused Centres of Excellence at the seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) will serve as hubs of advanced research, while the NIPER Academia-Industry Coordination Committee, constituted under DoP secretary with joint membership from all industry associations and NIPERs, will institutionalise industry-institute linkages in these institutes.
No doubt, the scheme marks a decisive policy shift, one that redefines Indian pharma’s trajectory from replication to innovation. By actively supporting drug discovery, biosimilars, and complex generics, it sends a clear message to the world that India is ready to lead not just in affordability, but in invention also. As some experts said, India in its pursuit of affordability has become the Pharmacy of the World, but missed an equally important opportunity to become the Lab of the World. Our scientists have the intellect and ingenuity to discover new molecules. What they lacked was not capability, but an ecosystem that rewards high-risk, high-reward science. For decades, the absence of incentives, infrastructure, and patient capital has kept India’s R&D ambitions constrained within the boundaries of generics. Now, the PRIP scheme envisions the development of a pan-India digital Pharma-MedTech innovation exchange to connect innovators with investors, mentors, relevant government initiatives such as Patent Mitra and MedTech Mitra and global opportunities, ensuring that innovators are fully supported along their R&D journey from idea to market and a vibrant innovation ecosystem develops. With an approved outlay of Rs. 5,000 crore, the scheme is expected to catalyse a Pharma-MedTech innovation pipeline by supporting around 300 projects involving total R&D investment of about Rs. 11,000 crore in new medicines, complex generics, biosimilars and novel medical devices. So, the government’s new policy intervention will prove to be a watershed moment in India’s journey towards global leadership in healthcare innovation. By weaving together regulatory reforms, investment incentives, targeted funding and a vibrant ecosystem, India can unlock the untapped potential of its scientific community, nurture breakthrough solutions that transcend borders and elevate its stature to a global innovation hub for pharma and medtech sectors. No doubt, the PRIP scheme, in the long run, will unleash India's huge research & innovation potential and will prove to be a game changer.
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