By TIOL News Service

MUMBAI, MAR 15, 2025: THE Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, organised an Industry dialogue on the Promotion of Research and Innovation in the Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) Scheme in Mumbai. The event served as a platform for industry leaders, associations and research institute 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.

Besides details of the PRIP Scheme, other Government initiatives which promote and enable research innovation in the sector, such as ICMR's PATENT MITRA, MEDTECH MITRA and INTENT programs providing support for patent filing, facilitating the innovation journey and clinical trials and the CSIR's Innovation Complex at Mumbai for translational work connecting research institutions and industry were shown. 

Dr Sharvil Patel Vice President, Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) 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. 

Mr Anil Matai Director General, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) highlighted the necessity of a conducive policy environment to further drive industry participation in research and development.

Mr Bharat Shah National President, Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) highlighted the challenges and opportunities for MSMEs in adopting research-led growth strategies and welcomed Government's effort in catalysing innovation through the PRIP scheme. 

Mr 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.

Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, emphasised the importance of futuristic products and the need for affordable healthcare solutions as fundamental pillars of India's global leadership in pharmaceuticals and medical technology. He highlighted that data-driven markets will play a transformative role in shaping the future of Pharma-MedTech R&D and stressed that India, with its highly diverse gene pool and as home to one-sixth of the world's population, holds a unique comparative advantage in developing personalised and precision medicines. He further stated 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.

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. Useful suggestions were made regarding streamlining regulatory pathways, maximising funding opportunities and scaling up innovative research initiatives to drive the sector's growth.

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 need and drives sectoral growth.

The Industry Dialogue in Mumbai concluded on a positive note, with participants reaffirming their commitment to foster a collaborative and innovation-driven ecosystem in the Pharma-MedTech sector.