By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : August 05, 2026 7:04 am
Telangana Life Sciences, BITS Pilani and RMIT Australia launch industry-integrated PhD programme for life sciences
Telangana Life Sciences, BITS Pilani and RMIT University, Australia, have jointly launched an Industry-Integrated PhD & Research Programme aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry while creating a pipeline of industry-ready scientific talent.
The programme was launched in the presence of D. Sridhar Babu, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Industries & Commerce, and Legislative Affairs, Government of Telangana, along with senior academic leaders from BITS Pilani and RMIT University, industry representatives and researchers from leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and Global Capability Centre (GCC) organisations, including Sandoz, Align Technology, Bristol Myers Squibb, MSD, Sanofi, Novartis, Opella and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The initiative seeks to align doctoral research with real-world industry challenges by enabling professionals working in life sciences GCCs and pharmaceutical companies to pursue globally supervised PhD research while continuing in their professional roles.
The programme will combine academic supervision from BITS Pilani and RMIT University with industry mentorship and sponsorship to generate commercially relevant research, promote technology transfer and accelerate innovation.
D. Sridhar Babu said Hyderabad's next phase of growth would be driven by innovation, intellectual property creation and research-led product development. He noted that India's research intensity remains significantly lower than that of leading global economies, underscoring the need to strengthen collaboration between government, academia and industry. He said the programme would help build the research talent and innovation ecosystem required to position Hyderabad as a global hub for life sciences research and development.
Prof. Alec Cameron, Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University, said addressing complex healthcare and life sciences challenges requires international collaboration and diverse perspectives. He added that the joint doctoral programme would create globally connected researchers capable of translating scientific discoveries into real-world impact while strengthening research partnerships between India and Australia
Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice-Chancellor of BITS Pilani, described the initiative as a new model for industry-engaged doctoral education, enabling researchers to work directly with industry professionals on critical challenges facing the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors while developing highly skilled talent for India's innovation ecosystem.
Sarvesh Singh, CEO of Telangana Life Sciences, said stronger collaboration between academia and industry is essential for the future of life sciences. He noted that the programme provides a platform where research can address real-world industrial challenges while nurturing future-ready scientific talent.
Unlike conventional doctoral programmes, where research is primarily academic, the new initiative is centred on industry-defined research problems.
Participating companies will sponsor employees and research scholars to undertake doctoral research aligned with their business priorities, while the partner universities will provide academic supervision, global expertise and research mentorship. The programme also aims to support selected research scholars through university sponsorship.