Date: 2026-07-15Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Dr. Jitendra Singh Launches Phase-III of "Biomedical Research Career Programme" (BRCP) with collaborative funding by Department of Biotechnology, GoI and the London based Wellcome Trust, UK
**Executive Summary**
On July 15, 2026, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched Phase-III of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP), a collaborative initiative between India's Department of Biotechnology and the UK-based Wellcome Trust. Supported by a total outlay of ₹1,500 crore, the program aims to nurture a globally competitive biomedical research workforce to drive India's bioeconomy toward a projected $300 billion by 2030. Key actions include expanding fellowships and research grants to support scientific excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Funding and Governance**
* **Total Outlay:** A combined investment of ₹1,500 crore, comprising ₹1,000 crore from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and ₹500 crore from the Wellcome Trust, UK.
* **Implementation:** The program is managed through the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance.
* **Long-term Framework:** Phase-III provides a stable approval framework to ensure continuity in scientific investment aligned with the "Viksit Bharat 2047" vision.
**Program Objectives and Scope**
* **Workforce Development:** Nurturing a diverse workforce including basic scientists, clinician-researchers, public health experts, science communicators, and research managers.
* **Research Focus:** Increased emphasis on interdisciplinary, team-based, and translational research to address complex biomedical and global health challenges.
* **Career Support:** Expanded support for outstanding researchers across various career stages through fellowships and research grants.
**Strategic Economic Goals**
* **Bioeconomy Growth:** Supporting the expansion of India’s bioeconomy from $195 billion in 2025 to a target of $300 billion by 2030.
* **Innovation Ecosystem:** Strengthening India’s position as a global biotechnology hub and leading vaccine manufacturer through nearly 12,000 startups.
* **Industry Integration:** Promoting closer integration between research institutions, startups, and industry to accelerate the transition of laboratory discoveries into market-ready products.
**Impact Analysis**
**Biomedical Researchers (Basic scientists, clinician-researchers, and public health experts)**
* **Impact:** Enhanced financial support, international visibility, and professional opportunities through prestigious fellowships and grants.
* **Action Required:** Apply for support across various career stages and focus on interdisciplinary research that translates into practical healthcare applications.
**Research Institutions and Universities**
* **Impact:** Strengthening of institutional research ecosystems and increased capacity to address national and global health priorities.
* **Action Required:** Foster collaborative environments and integrate with industry and startups from the early stages of scientific development.
**Biotechnology Startups and Private Industry**
* **Impact:** Benefit from a highly skilled research workforce and a policy environment that encourages private participation in strategic areas like nuclear medicine.
* **Action Required:** Increase participation in philanthropic partnerships and industrial collaborations to translate research into technologies and affordable healthcare solutions.
**Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Wellcome Trust**
* **Impact:** Consolidation of an 18-year partnership as a model for sustained international scientific collaboration and philanthropy.
* **Action Required:** Oversee the allocation of the ₹1,500 crore outlay and manage the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance to ensure program objectives are met.
Key Entities Referenced
Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP): A flagship initiative launched in Phase-III to provide fellowships and research grants for nurturing a globally competitive biomedical research workforce in India.
Department of Biotechnology (DBT): The primary government department under the Ministry of Science & Technology responsible for funding and overseeing the implementation of the BRCP.
Wellcome Trust, UK: A London-based philanthropic organization providing collaborative funding and international partnership support for the programme.
DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance: The specific organization and partnership framework through which the Biomedical Research Career Programme is jointly implemented.
Viksit Bharat 2047: The national vision document for a developed India, with which the programme's long-term scientific talent and research investments are aligned.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Dr. Jitendra Singh Launches Phase-III of
"Biomedical Research Career Programme"
(BRCP) with collaborative funding by Department
of Biotechnology, GoI and the London based
Wellcome Trust, UK
With a total outlay of ₹1,500 crore, including ₹1,000 crore
from the Department of Biotechnology and ₹500 crore from
Wellcome Trust UK, BRCP Phase-III will ensure continued
support for fellowships and research grants for nurturing a
globally competitive biomedical research workforce: Dr
Jitendra Singh
The next industrial revolution will be driven by biotechnology,
and India is prepared to lead it: Dr. Jitendra Singh
India’s Bioeconomy Set to Reach USD 300 Billion by 2030 as
Government Strengthens Globally Competitive Biomedical
Research Workforce: Dr. Jitendra Singh
प्रव तथ: 15 JUL 2026 5:09PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of
State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh
today launched Phase-III of the Biomedical Research Career Programme (BRCP) with a total outlay of
₹1,500 crore, including ₹1,000 crore from the Department of Biotechnology and ₹500 crore from London
based Wellcome Trust, UK.
Launching thr programme, Dr Jitendra Singh said. biotechnology is set to become the defining force
behind India's next phase of economic growth, scientific advancement and global competitiveness,
asserting that the country is no longer a participant but an emerging leader in the biotechnology
revolution.
The Minister said India's bioeconomy has expanded nearly twenty-fold, from USD 10 billion in 2014 to
over USD 195 billion in 2025, and is projected to touch USD 300 billion by 2030, reflecting the rapid
transformation of the sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said India
today hosts nearly 12,000 biotechnology startups, has emerged among the world's leading vaccine
manufacturers, and is steadily strengthening its position as a global biotechnology hub.The Minister launched the flagship programme jointly implemented by the Department of Biotechnology
(DBT), Government of India, and Wellcome Trust, UK, through the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance,
at a function attended by Prof. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and Director
General, BRIC; Prof. Dame Fiona Powrie, Deputy Chair, Board of Governors, Wellcome Trust, UK; Dr.
Apurva Sarin, CEO, DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance, members of the Board of Trustees, Strategic
Advisory Council, eminent scientists, heads of research institutions, biomedical researchers and nearly
eighty BRCP awardees. The programme included the ceremonial launch of Phase-III, interactions with
researchers whose careers have been shaped through the initiative, and presentations showcasing the
programme's scientific achievements and long-term impact.
Describing biotechnology as one of the most significant drivers of the emerging global knowledge
economy, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the discipline has moved beyond scientific laboratories and is now
influencing economic policy, industrial growth and national development strategies. He said
biotechnology is increasingly being recognised as the foundation of the next industrial revolution, placing
India in a strong position to lead global innovation through scientific research, entrepreneurship and
advanced manufacturing.
The Minister said the Biomedical Research Career Programme has evolved far beyond a fellowship
initiative and has established itself as one of India's most respected scientific career platforms. Referring
to interactions with several programme beneficiaries during the event, he said the initiative has
strengthened researchers not only through financial support but also by enhancing their scientific
credentials, international visibility and professional opportunities. Over the past eighteen years, he said,
the programme has developed into a prestigious institution that continues to attract and nurture scientific
excellence.
Dr. Jitendra Singh described the partnership between the Government of India and Wellcome Trust as a
model of sustained international scientific collaboration and philanthropy. He said the programme
demonstrates how long-term partnerships can accelerate scientific discovery, develop world-class human
resources and build research ecosystems capable of addressing national as well as global health
challenges. He also called for greater participation by philanthropic institutions and industry, observing
that while India possesses abundant scientific talent and innovative ideas, sustained financial partnerships
remain essential for translating research into technologies, diagnostics and affordable healthcare solutions.
Referring to India's scientific transformation over the past decade, the Minister said the country has
undergone a remarkable journey from a time when its healthcare capabilities received limited global
recognition to becoming a trusted leader in preventive healthcare and vaccine development. He attributed
this progress to sustained investments in research, strong policy support, vibrant startup ecosystems and
increasing collaboration between government, academia and industry.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved
Phase-III of BRCP with a total outlay of ₹1,500 crore, including ₹1,000 crore from the Department of
Biotechnology and ₹500 crore from Wellcome Trust, ensuring continued support for fellowships and
research grants. The programme, he said, seeks to nurture a globally competitive biomedical research
workforce comprising basic scientists, clinician-researchers, public health experts, science communicators
and research managers while creating greater opportunities for interdisciplinary and collaborative
research. He added that the initiative would also attract new philanthropic and international partnerships,
multiplying the impact of India's investments in biomedical science.
The Minister said the Government has consistently created an enabling policy environment for frontier
scientific research. Referring to recent reforms, he said India has expanded opportunities for private
participation in strategic research areas, including nuclear medicine, which will significantly strengthenfuture healthcare innovation. He emphasised that closer integration of research institutions, industry and
startups from the earliest stages of scientific development would accelerate the translation of laboratory
discoveries into products and technologies benefiting society.
Prof. Dame Fiona Powrie, Deputy Chair, Board of Governors, Wellcome Trust, UK, described the
eighteen-year partnership between DBT and Wellcome as an enduring example of how international
collaboration can strengthen science and improve global health. She said science advances through
collaboration across disciplines, institutions and countries, while meaningful health outcomes depend
upon solutions tailored to local realities. She said Phase-III places greater emphasis on interdisciplinary
and team-based research capable of addressing complex biomedical challenges and translating discoveries
into practical healthcare applications. She also appreciated the programme's contribution in supporting
hundreds of researchers and training thousands of young scientists who are now contributing to globally
recognised institutions.
Secretary, Department of Biotechnology and Director General, BRIC, Prof. Rajesh S. Gokhale said the
Biomedical Research Career Programme has emerged as one of the Department's flagship international
partnerships since its inception in 2008. He said the programme has played a transformative role in
building scientific leadership, strengthening research institutions and creating globally competitive
biomedical researchers. He also said that the long-term approval framework for Phase-III provides
continuity and stability to the programme, enabling sustained investments in scientific talent and research
excellence aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Launched in 2008, the Biomedical Research Career Programme has supported more than 500 researchers,
strengthened biomedical research across over 200 institutions, trained thousands of students and early-
career scientists, and generated globally recognised scientific contributions. Phase-III will expand support
for outstanding researchers across different career stages, promote collaborative and translational research,
strengthen India's biomedical innovation ecosystem and accelerate the development of technologies,
diagnostics and healthcare solutions that address national priorities while enhancing India's global
scientific leadership.*****
NKR/AK
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2284930) आगंतुक पटल : 684
इस वज्ञ को इन भाषाओ ंम पढ़: Urdu , ही , Tamil