DoP Updates Guidelines for Medical Devices Capacity Building Scheme

The financial assistance targets Central government universities and institutes to support multidisciplinary postgraduate medical device courses, infrastructure development for MedTech education and research, and a trained workforce.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has introduced key modifications to the sub-scheme Capacity Building and Skill Development for Medical Devices under the Strengthening of Medical Device Industry initiative.

As per the latest decision from the Scheme Steering Committee (SSC) meeting held on April 9, 2025, financial support extended to universities and institutions under this sub-scheme can now be withdrawn if student admissions fall below 30% of the approved annual intake in the first academic year.

Previously, the threshold for withdrawal was set at 50%.

The revised clause now states that support will be withdrawn, “If, against the annual student intake approved by DoP in its final approval letter, admissions are less than 30% of the approved annual intake in the first academic year, or less than 50% of the approved annual intake in the second or third year.”

Other grounds for discontinuation, such as inadequate core faculty as per student-teacher ratio or implementation delays, remain unchanged.

The department has also refined clauses regarding grant settlement. While institutions discontinuing the program must refund grants received, expenditures incurred and claimed towards non-recurring expenses are not required to be refunded, as per the updated provision.

Further, the reimbursement structure has been revised. Earlier unspecified, the updated guideline now clarifies that support of INR 25,000 per month for diploma students and INR 10,000 per month for certificate or skill development students will be disbursed quarterly to trainee institutes, based on actual enrolment.

Regarding funding limits, the earlier norm allowed the DoP to provide up to 75% of the course cost or INR 21 Cr, whichever is lower, on a reimbursement basis. This has now been revised to reimburse as and when expenditure is incurred.

First announced in 2024, the financial assistance targets Central government universities and institutes to support multidisciplinary postgraduate medical device courses, infrastructure development for MedTech education and research, and a workforce trained to match the evolving needs of the medical device sector.

The broader Strengthening of Medical Device Industry scheme was launched in November 2024 with a total outlay of INR 500 Cr.

It comprises several targeted sub-schemes, including INR 100 Cr allocated for Capacity Building and Skill Development for Medical Devices, INR 180 Cr for the Marginal Investment Scheme for Reducing Import Dependence, INR 110 Cr crore for Common Facilities for Medical Devices Clusters, INR 100 Cr for the Medical Device Clinical Studies Support Scheme, and INR 10 Cr for the Medical Device Promotion Scheme.

The DoP stated earlier that as part of the sub-scheme, the government provides up to INR 21 Cr for Master’s courses in central institutions and financial support of INR 25,000 for diploma and INR 10,000 for short-term courses in NCVET-approved institutes.

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