India has partnered with the UK's prestigious Cambridge University to create a new programme of early-career fellowships in the field of biotechnology.

The fellowships will be funded jointly by the University of Cambridge and by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), to support research and innovation projects in collaboration with Indian partner institutions. It was announced during a recent visit to the varsity by minister of state for Science and Technology, Mr YS Chowdary.

Under the terms of the agreement, academics participating in the scheme will be jointly appointed by the DBT and Cambridge. They are expected to spend two years in Cambridge and three years at a partner institution in India carrying out translational research, with a focus on commercialization and entrepreneurship.

It also makes reference to a shared interest in the establishment of a centre for crop sciences, and to Cambridge's plans for the establishment of a wholly-owned not-for-profit subsidiary in India to support wider collaborative research between Cambridge and Indian Institutions.

"We are delighted to be partners of India's Department of Biotechnology in establishing these fellowships. We are also very eager to support the DBT's plans for the development of India's research ecosystems through closer links between universities and industry. This is another great example of Cambridge's commitment to enhancing its engagement with India in ways that will strengthen the capacity for translational and applied research in both India and the United Kingdom," said the university's vice-chancellor Dr Leszek Borysiewicz.