The Centre has significantly stepped up its investment in health research, increasing the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) budget to ₹4,000 crore for 2026-27 while launching a series of new funding programmes aimed at boosting innovation, medical technology and advanced healthcare research in the country.

The increased funding reflects the government's focus on strengthening India's research ecosystem and accelerating the development of affordable medicines, medical devices and cutting-edge treatment technologies. The ICMR's budget has steadily risen from ₹2,732.13 crore in 2024-25 to ₹3,125.50 crore in 2025-26, before reaching ₹4,000 crore in 2026-27, marking an increase of nearly 21 per cent over the revised estimates of the previous financial year.

To make research funding more accessible and competitive, ICMR has revamped its grant structure by introducing multiple funding categories that support projects at different stages of development. Smaller research projects can now receive grants of up to ₹2 crore, while larger and more advanced studies can secure funding of up to ₹15 crore under the Centres for Advanced Research programme. High-risk and breakthrough innovations are also being supported through the "First-in-the-World Challenge", which offers grants of up to ₹8 crore.

The new funding framework is designed to encourage investigator-led research, proof-of-concept studies, multidisciplinary projects, validation of new healthcare technologies and innovative solutions with the potential to transform patient care.

The government has also introduced several strategic funding initiatives to strengthen research in medical colleges and hospitals across the country. One of the flagship programmes aims to help India's top-ranked medical institutions become global leaders in medical research. Another initiative, launched jointly by ICMR and the National Medical Commission (NMC), focuses on improving the quality of medical education through innovation, competency-based learning, digital education and modern assessment methods.

In Delhi, ICMR has launched a dedicated programme to strengthen research activities in three Central Government medical colleges. At the same time, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), in collaboration with ICMR and the Gates Foundation, has launched the Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA-MedTech). The initiative is expected to accelerate innovation in India's medical technology sector, reduce dependence on imported medical devices and make high-quality healthcare technologies more affordable.

The Centre is also supporting large multi-centre clinical trials on non-communicable diseases and has invited proposals to establish Centres for Advanced Research for developing priority medical devices and diagnostic technologies. These projects focus on addressing unmet clinical needs identified through nationwide consultations with doctors and healthcare experts from metro cities as well as smaller towns.

Another major initiative aims to improve palliative care services across India through a multi-state implementation research programme. The project will develop and evaluate a scalable model that integrates palliative care into existing healthcare services while assessing its cost-effectiveness and feasibility for nationwide expansion.

ICMR is also investing heavily in frontier technologies. It is currently supporting research on recombinant vaccines, biologics, cell and gene therapies, robotics and artificial intelligence-based healthcare solutions. A total of 22 advanced technology projects are underway, including CAR-T cell therapy for cancer, robotic-assisted targeted cancer treatment, robotic cardiac massage systems and robotic support for root canal procedures.

The research council has also supported the indigenous development of 97 medical devices and diagnostic technologies, helping reduce costs for 11 healthcare technologies. In addition, more than 60 innovative projects have received support under the "First-in-the-World Challenge", which encourages breakthrough medical innovations.

To further strengthen India's biopharmaceutical industry, the government has announced the Biopharma SHAKTI Scheme, backed by an investment of ₹10,000 crore over five years. The scheme aims to build a globally competitive ecosystem for biologics and biosimilars, reduce dependence on imported products and position India as a global hub for biopharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation.

Officials believe the initiative will strengthen research and development, improve clinical trial infrastructure and promote collaboration between industry, research institutions and academia. In the long run, the government hopes these investments will help India become a leader in advanced therapies, AI-designed biologics and precision medicine while making these cutting-edge treatments more affordable and accessible for patients.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav shared the details in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting the government's continued focus on strengthening India's medical research and innovation ecosystem.