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Focus on developing futuristic products and affordable solutions are the fundamental pillars of India's global leadership in pharmaceuticals and medical technology, said Amit Agrawal, secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP).
Speaking to the industry representatives in Mumbai, during an industry dialogue organised by the DoP on the Promotion of Research and Innovation in the Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme, he highlighted the transformative role of data-driven markets in shaping the future of Pharma-MedTech R&D and emphasized India’s unique comparative advantage in developing personalized and precision medicines, given its highly diverse gene pool and its position as home to one-sixth of the world’s population.
He added that the PRIP scheme is focussed on enabling research and innovation for the health challenges of tomorrow, with the aim of supporting innovative, cost-effective and affordable healthcare solutions that can strengthen both domestic and global healthcare ecosystems.
The event served as a platform for industry leaders, associations and research institutes from Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) to engage in discussions on strengthening industry-academia linkages, fostering collaboration and leveraging government initiatives to accelerate R&D and commercialise innovative solutions in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors.
DoP said that the event concluded on a positive note, with participants reaffirming their commitment to foster a collaborative and innovation-driven ecosystem in the Pharma-MedTech sector.
Industry stakeholders were encouraged to submit their feedback and project details through the Expression of Interest (EoI) hosted on the Department of Pharmaceuticals website, which will be open till April 7, 2025. This process will help refine the implementation strategy of the PRIP scheme, ensuring it aligns with industry needs and drives sectoral growth.
Dr Sharvil Patel, vice president, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IP Alliance) underlined the significance of industry-driven innovation, the need for regulatory support and enhanced investments in emerging pharmaceutical technologies and appreciated the efforts of the Government of India in bringing out the PRIP scheme.
Anil Matai, director general, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) emphasised on the necessity of a conducive policy environment to further drive industry participation in research and development.
Bharat Shah, national president, Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) said that the challenges and opportunities for MSMEs in adopting research-led growth strategies and welcomed the Government’s effort in catalysing innovation through the PRIP scheme.
Veeraal Gandhi, vice president, Association of Diagnostics Manufacturers India (ADMI) spoke of the growing importance of diagnostic technologies and India’s potential to emerge as a global leader in point-of-care diagnostic innovations, which would significantly contribute to make India future-ready in advanced healthcare solutions.
In the breakout sessions, industry representatives and other stakeholders gave in-depth feedback regarding research and innovation opportunities, emerging R&D trends, strategies to enhance industry-academia collaboration. Recommendations were provided regarding streamlining regulatory pathways, maximising funding opportunities and scaling up innovative research initiatives to drive the sector’s growth.
Besides details of the PRIP scheme, other government initiatives that promote and enable research innovation in the sector were showcased, such as ICMR’s PATENT MITRA, MEDTECH MITRA, and INTENT programmes, which provide support for patent filing, facilitate the innovation journey and clinical trials. CSIR’s Innovation Complex in Mumbai was highlighted for its translational work, connecting research institutions with industry.
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