ICMR Selects Seven Indian Institutions for Medical Device R&D

ICMR selects seven institutions, including five IITs and IISc Bengaluru, to develop priority medical devices and diagnostic technologies. Each centre can receive up to ₹15 crore over five years to advance affordable healthcare innovation.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) selects seven research centres at leading Indian institutions to develop priority medical devices and diagnostic technologies. The initiative aims to accelerate the development of affordable, accessible and locally manufactured healthcare solutions while addressing critical gaps in diagnosis and treatment.

The selected institutions include the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) at Kharagpur, Delhi, Bombay, Kanpur and Madras, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore. The programme supports research, product development, clinical validation and commercialisation to strengthen India's medical technology ecosystem.

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IIT Bombay's research centre, led by Dr Abhijit Majumder, will focus on portable screening, monitoring and point-of-care technologies for primary healthcare. These solutions aim to improve early detection and routine health monitoring, particularly in settings with limited access to advanced medical infrastructure.

IISc Bengaluru will develop biomaterials and translational medical devices, supporting efforts to convert scientific research into practical healthcare applications. Meanwhile, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, under the leadership of Prof Gopal S Pillai, will focus on developing and validating affordable technologies for ophthalmic and vascular diseases.

IIT Kharagpur's PRAGATICAR initiative, led by Prof Suman Chakraborty, will address frugal diagnostics, regenerative and personalised healthcare, artificial intelligence, digital health and advanced therapeutics.

At IIT Delhi, the Centre for Advanced Research in Priority Applied Technologies for Healthcare (CAR-PATH), led by Prof Vivekanandan Perumal, will develop applied technologies addressing priority healthcare needs.

IIT Kanpur, under Prof Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, will pursue the development of 10 priority healthcare products through a multidisciplinary approach. IIT Madras will host TARaNGaM, a translational research hub for next-generation medical technologies, devices and diagnostics, led by Prof Mohanasankar Sivaprasad.

ICMR identifies approximately 100 priority medical device and diagnostic technologies through consultations with clinicians working across different healthcare settings. The selected centres are expected to develop a combination of low-risk and high-risk technologies from this list.

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The programme provides funding of up to ₹15 crore per centre over five years. It also emphasises regulatory compliance, technology transfer, product validation and commercialisation. Participating institutions are expected to use existing infrastructure, develop skilled research teams and establish plans to sustain their centres beyond the funding period.

The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on imported medical technologies and improve access to affordable healthcare solutions. By supporting research across seven institutions, ICMR aims to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical medical applications.

The eventual impact will depend on successful product development, regulatory approvals, clinical validation and the ability to bring technologies to healthcare providers and patients.