The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with IIT to establish a Center of Excellence for Strategic Make in India product development and commercialization in the medical instrument and diagnostic sector.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has teamed up with IIT to establish a center of excellence for the development of strategic Make in India products and their commercialization in the medical devices and diagnostic sectors. Thematic areas under the Center of Excellence are strategically designed to bring such advanced products and technologies in line with the requirements of the Government of India’s National Health Mission, Ayushman Bharat and the Public Health Program for their potential deployment, an ICMR statement said. Says
ICMR-DHR Centers of Excellence have been set up at IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Madras. “The installation of ICMR at IITs will bridge the gap in technology development and commercialization cycles for a wider public health impact.” The value of the medical device sector in India is USD 7-8 billion and is expected to grow. According to industry estimates, 50 billion by 2025, “the statement said.
The Indian healthcare sector is heavily dependent on imports for its medical device needs. It says about 70 percent of medical devices. The establishment of ICMR at the IIT under the ambitious Medical Devices and Diagnostics Mission Secretariat at the ICMR headquarters will contribute to the development of this sophisticated ‘Make in India’ medical device and diagnostic equipment. “
The ICMR-DHR Centers of Excellence at IIT will collaborate with medical institutions to develop need-driven, affordable and inclusive healthcare solutions for their wider adoption. ICMR Director-General Dr. Balram Varagob addressed the Director and Deans of IIT and expressed his support and commitment for this initiative.
The installation of ICMR-DHR CoE at IITs will create a pipeline of innovative medical devices, start-ups and will stimulate and inspire local manufacturing in India and provide overall support to technology / products close to commercialization. According to ICMR, the philosophy behind the development of “more for less, more for more” to ensure greater product outreach with a mandate to promote ‘Global Affordable Need-Driven Healthcare Innovation’ (GANDHI).
This will have a significant impact on improving access to affordable quality healthcare, especially for the middle and low-income segments of India, it has underlined.
(PTI)