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. The Scheme with a financial outlay of ₹ 5,000 crore 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.

Applications are invited across two tracks:

• Early stage: Projects of startups and MSMEs to take products or technologies at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 1, 2 or 3 in any priority area to higher TRLs not beyond TRL 5 will be eligible. These projects will follow a two-stage process, beginning with a concise Concept Note, followed by a detailed application for shortlisted applicants. Concept Notes can be submitted directly by eligible MSMEs and startups, or by ecosystem enablers on behalf of promising projects within their networks. Financial assistance to the extent of ₹5 crore per project will be provided under the scheme. 
• Later stage: Projects of industry, startups and MSMEs to take products or technologies at TRL 4, 5, or 6 in any priority area to higher TRLs will be eligible. Late-stage projects can apply directly through the detailed application form. Financial assistance to the extent of ₹100 crore per project will be provided under the scheme subject to the condition that such assistance will be restricted to a maximum of 35% of the approved total project cost and the remainder of the approved total project cost will be co-funded by the applicant.

Application forms and supporting guidance are available on the PRIP portal: https://prip.pharma-dept.gov.in/. Applicants can also refer to the following resources for details on the application requirements:

• Scheme documents: Scheme and Scheme Guidelines
• Concept note (for early-stage projects): Guidance for Concept Note
• Detailed application form (for later-stage projects): Guidance for Application Form
• Other documents: Milestone Descriptor Catalogue and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• For additional guidance on various aspects of the scheme, please refer to the Application Support Toolkit.

 

The submission window on PRIP portal will open by mid-September. Applicants who had submitted projects under PRIP Round 1  have been asked not to resubmit the same project. For any queries, interested applicants can write to support-prip@pharma-dept.gov.in.

PRIP scheme was launched in 2023 with a view to promote research and development in the Pharmaceutical sector, including in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. It seeks to  build world-class research infrastructure and deepen the talent pool of qualified, trained students. With a view to enhance the prospects of commercialisation of viable outputs, industry and startups can also take advantage of mentorship support that will be provided under the Scheme. Initiatives such as MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra and the online platform under the Scheme will facilitate collaboration and partnership among various stakeholders.

Following are the identified priority areas under the scheme.

1. New Medicines – new chemical medicines/substances (including new chemical Entity (NCE), New Biological Entity (NBE) and Phyto-pharmaceuticals)

2. Complex Generics and Biosimilars

3. Novel medical devices (Targeted Innovative Therapeutics) - This refers to medical devices that have not been previously approved by CDSCO. It covers all novel medical devices, including the following: (i) AI/ML based medical devices with software development, Software as Medical Device (SaMD) and Software in Medical Device (SiMD); (ii) Medical diagnostics and screening devices with genetic technology;  (iii) Robotic medical devices for surgical procedures; (iv) Medical devices with telemedicine facilities; and (v) Any novel in vitro diagnostic medical device, including biomarkers, that enables precision medicine.

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