A Parliamentary Panel has recently asked the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to take corrective steps to remove any administrative and procedural delays related to the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme. The Panel’s recommendation comes in the wake of its observation that the actual expenditure for the PRIP scheme in financial year 24-25 was only 51% of the Revised Estimates for the fiscal, owing to the administrative and procedural delays which are fully under the control of the DoP. The Panel noted that although the Budget Estimate for financial year 2024-25 was enhanced from Rs. 75 crore to Rs. 95 crore at RE stage on account of anticipated approvals and operational progress, the actual expenditure was only Rs. 48.44 crore, which is 51 per cent, primarily under Component-A, due to delay in tendering processes for construction and procurement activities by implementing institutions (NIPERs) and hiring of contractual/project staff necessary for operationalization of approved projects. The Panel opined that such administrative and procedural matters were well within the control of the DoP and should not have affected fund utilisation under such as significant scheme. The Panel further recommend that the DoP should initiate corrective steps in this regard so that administrative and procedural delays or bottlenecks do not recur in future. It also noted that for the financial year 2025-26, while there has been no revision of funds allotted at BE stage to RE stage, the utilized amount stands at Rs. 107.23 crore (as on February 20, 2026) out of Rs. 245 crore, which is only 44 per cent fund utilization, up to January 31, 2026.
Of course, the DoP should have taken proactive measures to implement a prominent scheme like PRIP scheme which was notified by the DoP with an approved outlay of Rs. 5,000 crore in August, 2023, aiming at promoting industry-academia linkage for R&D in priority areas and to inculcate the culture of quality research and nurture the nation's pool of scientists. The scheme offers the pharmaceutical industry an opportunity to build IP-driven products and not just remain a generics powerhouse. No doubt, the scheme marks a decisive policy shift, one that redefines Indian pharma’s trajectory from replication to innovation. By actively supporting drug discovery, biosimilars, and complex generics, it sends a clear message to the world that India is ready to lead not just in affordability, but in invention also. As some experts said, India in its pursuit of affordability has become the Pharmacy of the World, but missed an equally important opportunity to become the Lab of the World. Our scientists have the intellect and ingenuity to discover new molecules. What they lacked was not capability, but an ecosystem that rewards high-risk, high-reward science. For decades, the absence of incentives, infrastructure, and patient capital has kept India’s R&D ambitions constrained within the boundaries of generics. Now, the PRIP scheme envisions the development of a pan-India digital Pharma-MedTech innovation exchange to connect innovators with investors, mentors, relevant government initiatives such as Patent Mitra and MedTech Mitra and global opportunities, ensuring that innovators are fully supported along their R&D journey from idea to market and a vibrant innovation ecosystem develops. No doubt, PRIP scheme is a very promising scheme which can unlock the untapped potential of our scientific community, nurture breakthrough solutions that transcend borders and elevate the country’s stature to a global innovation hub for pharma and medtech sectors. No doubt, the PRIP scheme, in the long run, will unleash India's huge research & innovation potential and will prove to be a game changer. The DoP should now shed its cavalier attitude towards such a game-changing scheme and should leave no stones unturned to ensure that the funds allocated for the scheme is fully utilised. |