The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has announced the second call for applications under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma & MedTech (PRIP) Scheme. Applications are invited across two tracks early stage and later stage.
The Scheme aims to strengthen India’s Pharma and MedTech research and development ecosystem by supporting startups, MSMEs, and large companies to leapfrog up the innovation value chain.
About Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma & MedTech (PRIP) Scheme
| Launched by | Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India |
| Launch Year | 2023 |
| Core Objective | To strengthen India’s Pharma and MedTech R&D ecosystem by supporting startups, MSMEs and large companies and enabling them to move up the innovation value chain. |
| Total Financial Outlay | ₹5,000 crore |
| Expected R&D Investment | Approximately ₹11,000 crore. |
| Target | Support approximately 300 projects in new medicines, complex generics, biosimilars and novel medical devices. |
| Priority Areas | Priority Area 1: New Medicines – New chemical medicines/substances, including New Chemical Entities (NCEs), New Biological Entities (NBEs) and phyto-pharmaceuticals. Priority Area 2: Complex Generics & Biosimilars – Supports research and innovation in complex generics and biosimilars. Priority Area 3: Novel Medical Devices – Novel medical devices not previously approved by CDSCO, including AI/ML-based devices, SaMD, SiMD, genetic diagnostics and screening devices, robotic surgical devices, telemedicine-enabled devices and novel in-vitro diagnostic devices/biomarkers for precision medicine. |
| Financial Incentives | 1. Early-Stage Projects – Eligible Entities (MSMEs and Startups) * Early-Stage Project Cost: Up to ₹9 crore. * Early-Stage Assistance: Up to ₹5 crore * Scale: 100% assistance up to ₹1 crore + 50% beyond ₹1 crore, subject to the ₹5 crore ceiling. 2. Later-Stage Projects – Eligible Entities (Industry, MSMEs and Startups) * Later-Stage Project Cost: Up to ₹285 crore. * Later-Stage Assistance: 35% of project cost, subject to a maximum of ₹100 crore. |
| Strategic Priority Innovation (SPI) Areas | Rare diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vaccine-preventable diseases, tropical vector-borne diseases and pandemic pathogens. SPI Assistance: 50% of project cost, subject to a maximum of ₹100 crore. |
| Collaboration Incentive | Collaboration Incentive: Preference for up to 9 projects across early- and later-stage categories where there is significant collaboration with reputed academic/research institutions. Use of Collaboration Assistance: Can support in-licensing of research outputs from academia and creation of public R&D assets in academic/research institutions. |
| Institutional Enablers | Centres of Excellence are being established at 7 NIPERs to function as advanced research hubs. NIPER Academia-Industry Coordination Committee: Established to institutionalise industry–institute linkages. Digital Pharma-MedTech Innovation Exchange: A Pan-India digital platform connecting innovators with investors, mentors, government schemes such as Patent Mitra and MedTech Mitra, and global opportunities. |
| Overall Significance | PRIP seeks to build a stronger domestic R&D and innovation ecosystem in pharmaceuticals and medical technology, promote collaboration between industry and academia, and support development of innovative medicines and medical devices in India. |