During the visit, the Minister was briefed on the institute’s strategic vision, research priorities, and efforts to strengthen industry partnerships and translational research.

A detailed presentation by Prof. Dulal Panda, Director, NIPER Mohali, highlighted the institute’s key achievements, Centres of Excellence, and initiatives focused on technology transfer and commercialization.

The institute showcased ongoing work in advanced therapeutic areas, including biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars, cell and gene therapies, medical devices, AI-driven pharmacoinformatics, and advanced drug delivery systems. NIPER also outlined its contribution to the Government’s Biopharma SHAKTI mission and its efforts to develop industry-ready talent through new Master’s programmes in Biopharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs.

Addressing faculty members, researchers, and students, Nadda reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthening India’s position in the global biopharmaceutical sector, particularly in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), key starting materials, synthesis intermediates, and biologics. He emphasized the importance of robust research infrastructure and assured continued policy support and funding to accelerate innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.

The Minister also appreciated NIPER Mohali’s role in nurturing skilled professionals and contributing to the country’s pharmaceutical and healthcare growth.

Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, interacted with faculty and students during the visit and invited suggestions on improving industry collaboration, translational research, and commercialization outcomes. He stressed the need to move beyond “paper patents” toward technologies with real-world impact and encouraged reforms in institutional reward systems to incentivize external funding and industry-sponsored research.

As part of the visit, Nadda also reviewed a Technology Showcase organised at the Convention Centre foyer, where researchers presented posters, prototypes, patents, and clinical research initiatives demonstrating translational outcomes and industry collaborations.