The mission of the Wellcome Trust–DBT India Alliance is to establish and nurture talent of the highest international standards, in cutting-edge biomedical research in India, resulting in important scientific breakthroughs and applications to society. In view of the overwhelming evidence that both active and passive smoking of tobacco are injurious to health, the Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance is unwilling to fund applications from individuals applying for, holding, or employed under a research grant from the tobacco industry.