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ToggleAtal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog hosts 20th MedTech Mitra Technical Advisory Meeting, unveils 6th edition of ‘Innovations for You’
On Friday, September 6, 2024, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog hosted the 20th Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting for the MedTech Mitra initiative. This event also marked the launch of the 6th edition of the innovation coffee table book series, ‘Innovations for You,’ which focuses on Life Sciences and Biotechnology.
The MedTech Mitra initiative, launched on December 25, 2023, is a collaborative effort between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), under the guidance of NITI Aayog. Its goal is to support MedTech innovators and enhance healthcare solutions by offering essential assistance in clinical evaluation, regulatory facilitation, and the adoption of new products.
Since its launch, the MedTech Mitra portal has received an overwhelming response from innovators across the country. To address the queries received on the portal and provide comprehensive support to MedTech innovators, twenty Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings have been held at ICMR Headquarters, CDSCO, and NITI Aayog.
During these meetings, innovators were invited by the ICMR-Medical Device and Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS) to present their ideas before senior officials from MedTech Mitra’s knowledge partner organizations.
These organizations include CDSCO, AIM-NITI Aayog, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), ICMR-Indian Clinical Trial & Education Network (INTENT), Kalam Institute of Health & Technology (KIHT)/Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ), DHR-Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn), DHR-Centre for Guidelines, National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), Government e-Marketplace (GeM), and Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).
To streamline the process, operational Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been established to define stakeholder roles and responsibilities.
The 20th TAC meeting, held on Friday, September 6, 2024, continued MedTech Mitra’s commitment to providing strategic and holistic support. During this meeting, ICMR-MDMS presented the journey of MedTech Mitra, highlighting steps taken to strengthen the ecosystem by expanding the scope to all healthcare innovations and including other relevant stakeholders. The detailed presentation also mentioned the progress made in advancing technologies and the positive feedback received from innovators regarding query resolution and technical guidance from knowledge partners.
The event was attended by Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog; Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary DHR and DG, ICMR; Smt. Anu Nagar, Joint Secretary, DHR; Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, DCGI, CDSCO; Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM-NITI Aayog; Sh. Surender Mehra, Programmer Director (S&T), NITI Aayog, and other distinguished members from MedTech Mitra’s knowledge partners, including ICMR-INTENT Network, ICMR-MDMS, CDSCO, AIM-NITI Aayog, BIS, KIHT/AMTZ, DHR-HTAIn, DHR-Centre for Guidelines, NHSRC, GeM, and AERB. This productive session focused on reviewing the progress made so far and advancing the initiative through strategic discussions with all stakeholders involved.
Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, acknowledged India’s potential to become a global leader in pharmaceuticals and medical devices. He remarked, “The journey from ideation to clinical use is often fraught with challenges, including regulatory hurdles, testing requirements, production complexities, and clinical evaluation processes.
MedTech Mitra addresses these pain points by providing mentorship, handholding, and access to essential resources. MedTech Mitra is perfectly aligned with the enabling policies of the Department of Pharmaceuticals for the on-ground implementation required for the envisioned accelerated growth path.”
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary DHR and DG, ICMR, appreciated the commitment of the members involved in the initiative. He commended the team for their efforts in resolving innovators’ queries and expressed his desire to see increased engagement from innovators. He noted that MedTech Mitra is designed to be a valuable resource for MedTech startups across the country.
Emphasizing the importance of clinical evaluation under the new regulatory regime, he highlighted ICMR’s pivotal role in ensuring the quality and safety of medical devices by leveraging its expertise and resources. By offering access to clinical evaluation support, regulatory advice, and product uptake facilitation, MedTech Mitra helps innovators navigate the complex healthcare landscape. He further stated, “MedTech Mitra should strive to become an outcome-oriented body. Every MedTech Mitra knowledge partner has a responsibility towards contributing to the Government of India’s Viksit Bharat vision.”
Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, DCGI, CDSCO, highlighted the importance of disseminating the progress of the MedTech Mitra initiative to the public. He said, “The MedTech Mitra initiative has made remarkable progress since its launch. This flagship initiative can introduce a paradigm shift in the MedTech ecosystem from ‘volume to values of innovations’ to meet evolving healthcare needs. The initiative has great potential to make India a net exporter of medical devices and diagnostics.”
Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director of Atal Innovation Mission, emphasized the significance of the meeting during his address. He said, “The 20th MedTech Mitra TAC Meeting represents a crucial milestone in our ongoing effort to support MedTech innovators. By facilitating robust discussions and providing comprehensive guidance, we aim to drive impactful advancements in medical device technology. Additionally, we are excited to unveil the 6th edition of Innovations for You, which celebrates the exceptional contributions of Indian innovators in Life Sciences and Biotechnology.”
The meeting was followed by the launch of Atal Innovation Mission 6th edition of the ‘Innovations for You’ coffee table book. This book highlights 50 pioneering entrepreneurs incubated under various Atal Incubation Centres across the country, who are driving change through their contributions in Life Sciences and Biotechnology. The publication categorizes innovations into subcategories—Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Bioengineering, and Drug Discovery.
It aims to highlight the stories of these innovations and underscore their vast applications and impact on society. Intended to guide and inspire upcoming startups, the book also emphasizes the pivotal role of Atal Innovation Mission – supported incubators in fostering innovation and research within these domains. These incubators have significantly augmented India’s capabilities in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, empowering emerging innovators and researchers.
The book can be accessed here: https://aim.gov.in/pdf/Life-Sciences-and-Biotechnology_6th-CTB_AIM_v1.pdf.
MedTech Mitra Portal link – https://medtechmitra.icmr.org.in/