A Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme was mooted as a part of national biotech development strategy by the government, some time last year, to encourage high tech discovery and innovation in this sector. This initiative of the Department of Biotechnology is aimed at path-breaking research in futuristic technology having substantial economic potential and making the country's biotech industry globally competitive with creation of ownerships and wherever possible collaborations with scientists. The thrust areas of BIPP are healthcare, bio-energy and green manufacturing and agriculture. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for the Programme in November, 2008 and allocated an amount of Rs 350 crore for the 11th Plan period. Thirty per cent of this funding under BIPP would be in four selected categories. The scheme provides for grant to biotech industries ranging from 30 to 50 per cent for the R&D component for Category I and II projects and 100 per cent for the product evaluation and validation. BIPP is expected to promote high risk, transformational technologies and process development and not just incremental development. This partnership platform of DBT will be used as a knowledge circle for idea generation in partnership with industry. The Intellectual Property Right under the Programme would belong to the industry with exclusive rights for 10 years post commercialization. A Technical Screening Committee will then work on the concept development based on identified priority areas. This concept would then be advertised or if there is limited capacity in the country, the most appropriate company having the required criteria would be asked to submit a proposal along with an academic partner. The specific areas identified would be widely publicized and the proposals would be invited. The priority areas could change with the advancing technologies and these would be considered and approved by the apex committee. An Expert Monitoring Committee, set up by the DBT for each project, will regularly monitor the projects under BIPP. The monitoring will include detailed personal report presentation and also site visits. The BIPP would be reviewed during the plan period and mid-term appraisal for changes will be considered if required. A Programme Management Unit will be set up by DBT for management and monitoring the BIPP. The PMU will be responsible for management of all physical and financial aspects of the programme. BIPP, if properly implemented, should help to give a boost to the development of new molecules in this highly potential sector. The initiative is particularly relevant today when the research in pharmaceutical industry is constantly failing to find new drugs for the last several years. Many of the new drugs, developed by the reputed pharmaceutical companies in recent years, are nothing but a modification of existing molecules. A good number of these chemical drugs are also being increasingly withdrawn from the market for their serious side effects. It is important, therefore, DBT needs to take utmost care in ensuring that the funding under this programme should go only to entrepreneurs engaged research in original and safe drugs.