Lok Sabha Question No. 2288 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Promotion of Research and Innovation
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Shri Giridhari Yadav

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTHRESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2288 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH DECEMBER, 2025

## PROMOTION OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

## †2288. SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV: SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the current status of the proposal to launch a new programme to promote research and innovation announced in the Budget for the year 2023-24; and

- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) and (b): The Department of Pharmaceuticals has informed that it has introduced the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech (PRIP) Scheme to support research and development in the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries in accordance with the Budget 2023-2024 announcement. The amended scheme and guidelines were notified on 1st October, 2025. The objective of the PRIP Scheme is to transform the Indian Pharma-MedTech sector from cost based to innovation-based growth by strengthening research infrastructure in the country. The rationale behind the recent amendments was to facilitate smooth implementation, bring greater clarity in governance and make benefit-sharing mechanisms more effective.

The PRIP Scheme has two components, namely, Component A: Strengthening the research infrastructure through setting up of centers of excellence at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) and Component B: Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech sector. Under component A, a total of seven centers of excellence have been set up, one at each of the seven NIPERs established at Mohali, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Raebareli, Hajipur and Hyderabad. Component B is for providing financial assistance to support research and development (R&D) for development of products and technologies or expeditious validation of R&D outputs for market launch and large-scale commercialisation in three priority areas, namely new medicines, complex generics and biosimilars, and novel medical devices. Both

Early Stage Projects and Later Stage Projects are eligible for disbursement of financial assistance. Under this component, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has invited applications for research and innovation projects from pharmaceutical and MedTech industry and startups.

Further, in December 2023, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) started MedTech Mitra platform in partnership with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), under the guidance of NITI Aayog. The MedTech Mitra portal has been operationalized on ICMR website. This platform provides guidance to innovators from start-ups, industry and academia for the development of MedTech products. Multiple inter-departmental/inter-ministerial partners such as Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Bureau of Indian Standards, National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Government e-Market place are the core partners of this initiative besides the ICMR's National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research (NARFBR) and Indian Clinical Trial and Education Network (INTENT).

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