DBT, UK's Wellcome Trust in £45-million joint health research programme

UK's Wellcome Trust will partner the Department of Bio-Technology of the Government of India in a 45-million pound programme to develop innovative healthcare products at affordable costs.

The two countries will also undertake new joint research projects - `Bridging the rural-urban divide' to provide technological solutions to improve the quality of life of rural inhabitants in both countries and multi disciplinary research partnerships to develop the next generation of environment-friendly fuel cell technologies.

The two research agencies already have a prestigious fellowship programme for supporting research and mister for science and technology Prithviraj Chavan said this is the next phase of initiative announced two years ago.

Chavan also met visiting UK minister of state for universities and science David Willets in New Delhi last evening.

DBT and the Wellcome Trust will contribute 22.5 million pounds each to the partnership and the new Wellcome Trust-DBT alliance would result in projects for societal benefits, the minister said.

The aim is to bring together researchers from both public and private sector, largely working in India, to develop innovative devices, diagnostic medicines and vaccines that can reach the greatest number of beneficiaries at affordable cost, he said.