(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Oct 4 (KNN) The Department of Pharmaceuticals has invited applications for research and innovation projects under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme.

With an approved outlay of Rs 5,000 crore, the scheme is expected to support around 300 projects involving total R&D investments of nearly Rs 11,000 crore in areas such as new medicines, complex generics, biosimilars, and novel medical devices.

The application window opened on October 1, 2025, through a dedicated digital portal.

The government has also issued revised guidelines to make the scheme more responsive to stakeholder needs.

Under the amended framework, early-stage projects by startups and MSMEs can seek funding for projects up to Rs 9 crore, with assistance of up to Rs 5 crore. Support covers 100 percent of costs up to Rs 1 crore and 50 percent of costs beyond that, subject to the cap.

For later-stage projects, industry, MSMEs, and startups may request assistance of up to Rs 100 crore for projects costing up to Rs 285 crore, with support covering 35 percent of the total cost.

Projects targeting Strategic Priority Innovation (SPI) areas-focused on critical public health concerns with lower market potential, such as rare diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine-preventable diseases, vector-borne diseases, and pandemic pathogens-may receive assistance covering up to 50 percent of costs, capped at Rs 100 crore.

The revised scheme incentivises collaboration between industry and leading academic or government research institutions, offering preference in selection for up to nine projects at both early and later stages.

Companies may also use scheme funds to in-license research outputs or create public R&D assets in such institutions, thereby strengthening academia-industry linkages.

To further nurture innovation, the scheme provides for the creation of industry-focused Centres of Excellence at the seven National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), alongside the recently formed NIPER Academia-Industry Coordination Committee.

Additionally, a pan-India digital Pharma-MedTech innovation exchange will be developed to connect innovators with investors, mentors, government initiatives such as Patent Mitra and MedTech Mitra, and global opportunities.

Officials emphasised that the scheme is designed to catalyse a robust innovation pipeline, accelerate delivery of affordable, high-quality healthcare solutions, and enhance India's health security framework.

By encouraging participation fr0m both domestic and global players, PRIP seeks to deepen value chains, expand collaborations, and reinforce India's standing in global healthcare R&D.

Detailed guidelines, eligibility criteria, and instructions can be found on the PRIP portal:

(KNN Bureau)

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