The Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme is designed to shift India’s pharma and medical technology industry from cost-based growth to innovation-driven development by strengthening the country’s research infrastructure. Recent amendments aim to ensure smooth implementation, enhance governance clarity, and improve benefit-sharing mechanisms. The scheme has two key components: Component A, which focuses on strengthening research infrastructure through seven Centres of Excellence established at the NIPERs in Mohali, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Raebareli, Hajipur, and Hyderabad, specializing in areas like anti-viral and anti-bacterial drug development, medical devices, bulk drugs, flow chemistry, novel drug delivery systems, phyto-pharmaceuticals, and biological therapeutics, to foster industry-academia collaboration and nurture talent; and Component B, which promotes research and innovation by providing financial support for R&D projects in three priority areas—new medicines, complex generics and biosimilars, and novel medical devices—open to industry, MSMEs, and startups. Under Component B, Early Stage Projects can receive assistance up to ₹5 crore for project costs up to ₹9 crore, while Later Stage Projects can get up to ₹100 crore for costs up to ₹285 crore, with higher support (50%) for projects in Strategic Priority Innovation areas addressing public health concerns with high societal impact but lower market potential. The scheme encourages flexible collaboration between industry, startups, and government research institutions to develop, translate, and commercialize innovations while building national research capacities. This information was shared by Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Anupriya Patel, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
