Second Priority
Pharma Scheme With 5k crs Opened for Applications
Ř PRIP Scheme Opens
New Opportunities for Startups, MSMEs and Industry Across Priority Pharma &
MedTech Areas
·
Second
PRIP call announced:
Department of Pharmaceuticals has invited applications under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in
Pharma & MedTech (PRIP) Scheme.
·
₹5,000
crore financial outlay: The
scheme aims to strengthen India’s pharmaceutical
and MedTech R&D ecosystem and help companies move up the
innovation value chain.
·
Target
beneficiaries:
Support is available to startups,
MSMEs and large industry undertaking innovative R&D
projects.
·
Two
application tracks:
Projects are divided into Early
Stage and Later
Stage based on their Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
Early-Stage
Projects
·
Eligible
projects must be at TRL 1,
2 or 3 and seek to advance to a level not beyond TRL 5.
·
Primarily
aimed at startups and
MSMEs.
·
Application
involves a two-stage
process:
1.
Concept
Note
2.
Detailed
application for shortlisted projects.
·
Financial
assistance: Up to
₹5 crore per project.
·
Ecosystem
enablers can also submit Concept Notes on behalf of promising projects within
their networks.
Later-Stage
Projects
·
Projects
at TRL 4, 5 or 6
can seek funding to move to higher TRLs.
·
Open
to industry, startups and
MSMEs.
·
Applicants
can directly submit the detailed
application form.
·
Financial
assistance: Up to
₹100 crore per
project.
·
Government
support is capped at 35%
of the approved total project cost.
·
The
remaining project cost must be co-funded
by the applicant.
Application
Timeline
·
PRIP
portal submission window:
Expected to open by mid-September
2026.
·
Applicants
who submitted projects under PRIP
Round 1 should not resubmit the same project.
·
Application
forms, guidelines, FAQs and other supporting documents are available through
the PRIP portal.
Key
Priority Areas
1.
New
medicines –
including New Chemical Entities (NCEs), New Biological Entities (NBEs) and phyto-pharmaceuticals.
2.
Complex
generics and biosimilars.
3.
Novel
medical devices,
including:
o AI/ML-based medical devices.
o Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and
Software in Medical Devices (SiMD).
o Genetic-technology-based diagnostics and
screening devices.
o Robotic surgical devices.
o Telemedicine-enabled medical devices.
o Novel in-vitro diagnostic devices and
biomarkers supporting precision
medicine.
Wider
Objectives
·
Promote
domestic R&D and
innovation in pharmaceuticals and medical technology.
·
Encourage
development of world-class
research infrastructure.
·
Strengthen
India’s pool of skilled
and trained researchers.
·
Accelerate
commercialisation of
viable innovations through industry and startup participation.
·
Support
emerging technologies, including AI
and machine learning, in the pharma sector.
·
Provide
mentorship and
collaboration opportunities through initiatives such as MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra.
Key
takeaway: The
second PRIP call significantly expands opportunities for Indian pharma and MedTech startups, MSMEs and
industry, offering up to ₹5
crore for early-stage R&D and ₹100 crore for later-stage projects,
with a strong focus on new
medicines, biosimilars, AI-enabled medical devices, robotics and precision
diagnostics.
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.