Initiative positions India as a hub for cutting-edge research and innovation in health sciences
Blockchain For Impact (BFI) launched ‘India Reimagined Fellowship’, a prestigious global programme aimed at bringing world-class scientific and professional talent to India to tackle critical challenges in biomedical science and public health. The fellowship is designed to empower researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and innovators to build sustainable “impact engines” that address pressing healthcare challenges in India.
Each selected fellow will receive a grant of $300,000 (~Rs 2.5 crores) over a period of three years. This funding is intended to support relocation, salary, project costs, lab infrastructure, staffing, equipment, and other approved research expenses. The fellowship is available only through institutional nominations. Up to three fellowships will be awarded in the current cycle, with one fellow per host institution. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis, and the submission deadline for this cycle is January 31, 2026.
Dr Vijay Chandru, Co-founder, Strand Life Sciences; Co-founder and Chairman, CrisprBits, remarked, “After serving a tenured faculty role in the US, I believe these reimagined fellowships of BFI, enhanced a 1000 times over by an endowment of 1B$ contributed by private philanthropies, would just lift the innovation quotient of the nation and lead us to a Viksit Bharat at a stage when tech innovation and translation has to play a critical role.”
Sandeep Nailwal, founder of Blockchain For Impact (BFI), said, “India has the talent and institutions to drive global breakthroughs in biomedical research. With India Reimagined Fellowship, we are creating a bridge that connects global expertise with Indian opportunities, ensuring long-term impact through science, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”
Host institutions must be FCRA-approved or exempted and are expected to provide full infrastructure and administrative support to ensure the fellow’s successful integration and research delivery. Selected fellows are required to commit full-time to their work in India for the full duration of the fellowship, targeting bold, scalable outcomes.
The India Reimagined Fellowship underscores BFI’s mission to catalyse deep scientific innovation by connecting global expertise with India’s research ecosystem. It represents a strategic push toward creating long-term capacity in India’s biomedical and public health domains while fostering global collaborations rooted in local impact.
