PRIP Call 2 — Up to ₹100 Cr Grants for Pharma & MedTech R&D

PRIP — the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector scheme — is a Government of India programme run by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. It carries a ₹5,000 crore outlay and exists to move the country's pharma and medical technology industry away from a purely cost-led manufacturing model and toward original, research-driven growth.

Call 2 of the scheme is currently accepting concept notes. The money supports work that takes a drug or device from early idea through to market readiness: foundational research at TRL 1-3, and later work at TRL 4-6 that is closing in on commercialisation. Projects that have already reached TRL 7 or above sit outside the scheme's scope.

The scheme concentrates on defined priorities — new chemical entities, new biological entities, complex generics, biosimilars, and novel medical devices built on technologies such as AI/ML and robotics. Beyond the funding, PRIP is structured to build industry-academia partnerships so that India's public health priorities are addressed through homegrown innovation.

Per-project support scales with the track an applicant chooses. Early-stage work can draw up to ₹5 crore, NCE/NBE discovery up to ₹50 crore, and later-stage programmes up to ₹100 crore. Money arrives in four instalments tied to project milestones, and commercialisation brings in a benefit-share arrangement or allotment of Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares.

• Grants of up to ₹100 crore per project, decided by track
• ₹5,000 crore government scheme run by the Department of Pharmaceuticals
• Open to TRL 1-6 work in pharma, biotech and medical devices
• Payouts in four instalments, each tied to a milestone
• Rolling applications — no fixed cut-off date
• Commercialisation triggers a benefit-share or CCPS allotment

The applicant entity must be registered in India. Qualifying forms include a company incorporated under the Companies Act, a limited liability partnership, or a registered partnership firm. One Person Companies, Section 8 companies, and sole proprietorships are excluded.

• Early-Stage Track applicants must hold either a valid DPIIT startup recognition certificate or an Udyam Registration Certificate.
• Individuals, unregistered entities, and academic institutions cannot apply in their own name. Ecosystem enablers may submit on behalf of projects or entities within their network.
• Projects should generally fall between TRL 1 and TRL 6. Anything already at TRL 7 or above is not eligible.
• An applicant is disqualified if its key managerial personnel have a conviction for moral turpitude or corruption, or if the entity is undergoing insolvency proceedings.
• A project already submitted under PRIP Round 1 cannot be sent in again if it is the same project.

PRIP Call 2 — Up to ₹100 Cr Grants for Pharma & MedTech R&D is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

PRIP Call 2 — Up to ₹100 Cr Grants for Pharma & MedTech R&D accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

PRIP Call 2 is a grant programme, and the ceiling depends on the track a project falls into.

• Early Stage projects: up to ₹5 crore. Assistance is available in full up to ₹1 crore; beyond that, 50% co-funding is required.
• NCE/NBE Discovery Track: up to ₹50 crore, with a minimum 25% co-funding from institutional investors.
• Later Stage projects: up to ₹100 crore, with assistance covering 35-50% of project cost.

Funds are released in four instalments, each linked to a project milestone, into a dedicated project bank account.

Alongside the money, recipients get networking and incubation support plus regulatory guidance — useful for teams working through drug or device regulatory pathways.

On commercialisation, recipients enter a benefit-share mechanism on net sales. Alternatively, the arrangement can take the form of share allotment through Compulsory Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS).

PRIP Call 2 — Up to ₹100 Cr Grants for Pharma & MedTech R&D is offered by Department of Pharmaceuticals, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Applications are assessed in two layers.

For the Early-Stage and NCE/NBE Discovery tracks, the entry point is a Concept Note. Each note is screened for eligibility and for how closely it aligns with the scheme's objectives. Notes that clear screening go into a technical evaluation covering the project's potential, its novelty, the implementation plan, and the credentials of the team behind it.

Only projects shortlisted at the Concept Note stage are invited to file a detailed application form. Teams applying directly to the Later-Stage Track — those with TRL 4, 5 or 6 already completed — move straight to that detailed form.

Detailed applications are then judged on a wider set of criteria: impact on India's public health priorities, technical rigour, the soundness of the funding and expenditure plans, the credentials of the team and its academic partners, market potential, and scalability.

Before you apply to PRIP Call 2 — Up to ₹100 Cr Grants for Pharma & MedTech R&D, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

PRIP Call 2 — Up to ₹100 Cr Grants for Pharma & MedTech R&D is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹100Cr. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.