India Champions MedTech Collaboration at South and Southeast Asia RESEARCH Meet

The Department of Health Research (DHR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) hosted a two-day South East and South Asia Regional Meet on Health Research and Innovations in Public Health at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi. The programme, held under the framework of the Regional Enabler for South and Southeast Asia Research for Health (RESEARCH) Platform, brought together senior health officials, policymakers, and experts from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste.

The RESEARCH Platform is designed to strengthen regional solidarity, knowledge-sharing, and cross-border collaboration, with a focus on public health systems, innovations, and policy frameworks.

Session on MedTech Innovations

On the second day of the meeting, Shri Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, chaired a session on “Leveraging Inter-sectoral Networking for Med-Tech Innovations.” The session provided a forum for dialogue on how countries in South and Southeast Asia can accelerate the growth of medical technologies (MedTech) through coordinated regional efforts.

Shri Agrawal, in his keynote remarks, stated that “health knows no boundaries.” He recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the need for cross-border collaboration, inter-sectoral cooperation, and inter-departmental synergy in building strong and resilient healthcare systems.

Building a Stronger MedTech Ecosystem

Highlighting India’s growing MedTech capabilities, Shri Agrawal stressed the need to strengthen the medical device ecosystem not only with technology and skilled manpower but also with internationally recognized standards and infrastructure.

Key areas he highlighted included:

• Establishing internationally accredited laboratories to ensure quality and compliance.

• Adopting globally harmonised standards for medical devices.

• Supporting clinical investigations for innovative devices to fast-track adoption.

• Achieving economies of scale by aggregating demand beyond national borders.

He noted that with the establishment of Medical Device Parks across India, and with initiatives like ICMR’s MedTech Mitra, Patent Mitra, and clinical trial support schemes, the country is systematically building a foundation to emerge as a global MedTech innovation hub.

Role of NIPERs and Skilled Human Capital

Shri Agrawal underscored the contributions of the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) in building a skilled workforce for the MedTech sector. Today, seven NIPERs are offering specialized courses in medical devices, which have also been opened to foreign nationals to promote regional capacity building.

This cross-national participation, he noted, will help strengthen the human capital pool across South and Southeast Asia, fostering a new generation of innovators and researchers.

Innovation, Academia-Industry Partnerships and Digitalisation

Emphasising the future of healthcare, Shri Agrawal said that medical technologies will increasingly move beyond hospitals into households, enabled by digitalisation, telemedicine, and portable diagnostic tools. This shift will make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and patient-centric.

He also showcased the Academia to Industry: Discovery Marketplace platform launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals. This initiative provides a connectivity framework for industry, startups, academic institutions, and research bodies to collaborate on breakthrough innovations. The platform aims to bridge the gap between discovery and deployment, ensuring that new technologies serve both commercial viability and public good.

Regional Collaboration for Global Impact

The deliberations underscored that the RESEARCH Platform is not just about national progress but about building a regional powerhouse for MedTech innovation. With South and Southeast Asia accounting for a significant share of the world’s population, the development and deployment of affordable, scalable, and innovative medical technologies in this region can have global implications for healthcare accessibility and equity.

Summing up the session, Shri Amit Agrawal highlighted that the RESEARCH Platform has the potential to make the South East and South Asian region a global leader in MedTech innovation, creating opportunities not only for economic growth but also for public health transformation.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation by all participating nations to continue knowledge exchange, collaborative research, and joint innovation initiatives, marking a decisive step towards making the region a global hub for MedTech and healthcare solutions.