NIPER, Boehringer Ingelheim Sign MoU; AMRITVA 2 Launched

The partnership aims to accelerate translational research, promote advanced pharmaceutical technologies and strengthen India’s research-to-market ecosystem in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

In a major push to strengthen pharmaceutical research, innovation and industry-academia collaboration in India, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Raebareli, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Boehringer Ingelheim India Pvt. Ltd. in the presence of Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

The partnership aims to accelerate translational research, promote advanced pharmaceutical technologies and strengthen India’s research-to-market ecosystem in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Boost to Industry–Academia Collaboration

The MoU establishes a structured framework for collaboration between NIPER Raebareli — including its Centre of Excellence for Novel Drug Delivery Systems (CoE-NDDS) — and Boehringer Ingelheim India.

The areas of cooperation include:

• Advanced pharmaceutical technologies

• Novel drug delivery systems

• Academic exchange programmes

• Research capability-building initiatives

As part of the collaboration, Boehringer Ingelheim will provide researchers and institutions access to its opnMe® open science platform, enabling knowledge sharing and scientific exchange to accelerate innovation in healthcare.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Manoj Joshi underscored the importance of sustained partnerships between academia and industry in strengthening India’s research-to-market pipeline.

“Such initiatives are critical for advancing domestic innovation capabilities, fostering entrepreneurship, and ensuring wider access to cost-effective healthcare solutions,” he said.

Launch of AMRITVA Cohort 2

The event also marked the launch of Cohort 2 of AMRITVA (Alliance for Medicinal Research, Innovation, Translation & Value Acceleration), an initiative designed to strengthen India’s pharmaceutical innovation system and support the translation of research outcomes into viable products and startups.

AMRITVA is implemented by the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, in partnership with NIPER Raebareli. The programme is supported under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by Boehringer Ingelheim India.

The initiative focuses on bridging the gap between laboratory research and commercial application by providing mentoring, funding and incubation support.

Grants to Support Commercialisation

Under Cohort 2, five innovators have been selected for grant support aimed at facilitating commercialisation of their research.

• Three faculty-led projects have received financial assistance of ₹8 lakh each

• Two research scholar-led projects have been awarded ₹6 lakh each

The grants are intended to help researchers advance product validation, regulatory preparedness and early-stage market readiness.

Transitioning to a Value-Driven Pharma Sector

The Department of Pharmaceuticals is actively working to shift India’s pharmaceutical sector from a volume-driven model to a value-driven ecosystem. This includes focused policy interventions, infrastructure development, strengthened industry-academia linkages and incubation-led commercialisation.

India is already one of the world’s largest suppliers of generic medicines and vaccines, contributing significantly to global health. However, policymakers are now emphasising innovation-led growth, advanced therapeutics, novel drug delivery systems and research-based pharmaceutical development.

Officials present at the event included Shri Awadhesh Kumar Choudhary, Senior Economic Advisor, Department of Pharmaceuticals; Ms. Anugraha P, Director, Department of Pharmaceuticals; and Dr. Ashutosh Agnihotri, CEO, SIIC, IIT Kanpur.

The MoU and the launch of AMRITVA Cohort 2 signal a concerted effort to build a stronger translational research ecosystem, support pharmaceutical entrepreneurship and position India as a global innovation hub in advanced drug development.