Biomanufacturing and Pharma SME Delegation to India

The programme

Join the Biomanufacturing and Pharma SME Delegation to India to unlock growth opportunities.

Deadline for applications: 23:59 on Tuesday 30 September 2025.

This UK-India programme is inviting UK-registered biomanufacturing and pharma SMEs to apply for a funded opportunity to explore one of the world’s fastest-growing biotech and pharma ecosystems’ — India.

This unique initiative is part of the recently announced comprehensive strategic partnership — India-UK 2035 and a bilateral commitment between UK and India under the Technology Security Initiative and the UK-India NET Zero Innovation partnership (NZIP), being facilitated by the British High Commission in India and delivered by CPI, UK.

Through this programme, selected SMEs will gain exposure to the Indian market, collaboration opportunities, and strategic networks to grow and scale their technologies, innovations and products globally.

Delegation travel planned:

- Anticipated travel in February 2026 (exact dates tbc).

- Attend BioAsia Conference February 2026 (dates tbc).

- Additional travel to relevant partner sites in India.

What’s on offer?

Participating SMEs will benefit from:

- Introductions to key players in India’s biomanufacturing/pharmaceutical landscape, across industry, government, academia/RTOs, and philanthropic funders.

- Opportunities to explore the Indian market, understand regulatory pathways and identify commercialisation routes in India.

- Opportunity to engage with British High Commission and Department of Business and Trade in India.

- Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) collaboration opportunities with Indian organisations in biomanufacturing and pharma.

- Supply and value chain connections that could support scale-up and production.

- In-person visits, workshops, and one-to-one meetings with leading Indian organisations.

- Travel grant towards the costs of the trip, including flights, accommodation and conference attendance.

Why India? Why now?

India’s pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and biotech sectors are rapidly evolving, driven by strong government support, thriving innovation hubs, and growing demand for international collaboration. With a unique mix of start-ups, family businesses, and global leaders adopting next-generation technologies, India offers UK SMEs the chance to scale innovation, build partnerships, and access one of the world’s most dynamic markets.

UK-India cooperation in R&D and innovation is expanding through the UK-India research agreement, Technology & Security Initiative, Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and Free Trade Deal. These strengthen geopolitical ties, supply chain resilience, cooperation in sustainable technologies, advanced pharma, AI, and digital innovation — supported by the Science and Technology Network in Delhi. The Science and Technology network — jointly led by FCDO and DSIT — actively supports UK engagement with India’s innovation ecosystem through hubs in India, via the British High Commission.

Who should apply?

To be eligible, you must:

- Be a UK-registered organisation.

- Be an SME (Small or Medium-sized Enterprise).

- Operate on a for-profit basis with a commercialisation focus.

- Work in or serve the pharmaceutical medicines manufacturing sector or the biotech sector.

- Have received seed funding (indicating a level of due diligence and commercial readiness).

How to apply

Applications are now open for the UK SME delegation to India, taking place at the end of February 2026.

As part of your submission, you’ll be asked to provide a short paragraph outlining:

How do your business plans align with India collaboration opportunities in sustainable biomanufacturing / pharma manufacturing?

The selected SMEs will become part of a high-impact cohort shaping future UK-India collaborations in critical technology and innovation.