Boosting Innovation in Pharma and MedTech: ₹1,600 Crore Approved for 41 Projects Under Phase I of PRIP
The government has approved 41 projects under the first phase of the Promoting Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech (PRIP) sector, with total investment expected to reach ₹4,620 crore.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals has granted approval to 41 projects under the first phase of Promoting Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech (PRIP), providing financial assistance of approximately ₹1,600 crore. These projects are expected to attract an additional private investment of ₹3,020 crore, bringing the total research and development (R&D) investment for these initiatives to approximately ₹4,620 crore.
The approved projects cover various stages of the innovation value chain, including the discovery of new drugs, clinical development, and novel medical technologies. Of the 41 projects, 12 are in the early stages and 29 are in later stages. Furthermore, 19 projects are being executed by startups and MSMEs, while 22 projects are led by large companies.
According to priority areas, 27 projects are dedicated to new drugs, five projects focus on complex generics and biosimilars, and nine projects are related to new medical devices. This initiative represents an effort to shift the pharmaceutical model from a volume-based approach to an innovation-based and technology-driven model. The portfolio includes projects from prominent companies such as Biocon, Bharat Biotech, Sun Pharma, Wockhardt, Zydus, Mankind Pharma, Pandorum Technologies, Cellogen Therapeutics, Origin Oncology, and Bugworks Research.
Significant innovations within this portfolio include antibacterial drugs for multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections, exosome-based regenerative therapy for corneal diseases, in-vivo CAR-T platforms, breast cancer organoids, programmable RNA-targeting antiviral technology, portable plasmonic-PCR for point-of-care infection diagnosis, and a microfluidic platform for TB detection.
Under the strategic priority framework, special emphasis has been placed on innovations for rare diseases, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and vaccine-preventable diseases. So far, six projects have been approved under this framework, including projects related to bacterial pneumonia/meningitis, dengue, influenza, and next-generation TB vaccines. The evaluation of the remaining applications from the first round is ongoing, and results will be announced in the coming months.
