India's Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog hosts 20th MedTech Mitra technical advisory meeting

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Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog recently hosted the 20th Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting of the MedTech Mitra initiative.

Launched on December 25, 2023, jointly by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the guidance of NITI Aayog, the MedTech Mitra initiative aims to empower MedTech innovators and advance healthcare solutions by providing crucial support for clinical evaluation, regulatory facilitation, and the uptake of new products.

Since its launch, the MedTech Mitra portal has received an overwhelming response from innovators across the country. In order to address the queries received on the portal and to provide strategic holistic handholding support to MedTech innovators, twenty Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings of ‘MedTech Mitra’ have been held at ICMR-Hqrs, CDSCO and NITI Aayog wherein, innovators were invited by ICMR-Medical Device and Diagnostics Mission Secretariat (MDMS) to make presentation before senior officials from the MedTech Mitra knowledge partner organisations including 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) & ICMR-MDMS. To streamline the process, operational Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been established to define stakeholder roles and responsibilities.

The meeting was followed by the launch of AIM’s 6th edition of ‘Innovations for You’ coffee table book. The book highlights 50 pioneering entrepreneurs incubated under the various Atal Incubation Centres spread across the country, who are driving change through their contributions in Life Sciences and Biotechnology. Within this sector, the publication delineates innovations into subcategories—Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Bioengineering, and Drug Discovery. The publication is intended to highlight the stories of these innovations and underscore the vast applications and impact for society at large. Intended to both guide and inspire upcoming startups, the book also underscores the pivotal role of AIM-supported incubators in fostering innovation and research within these domains.