S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur have created a robust multidisciplinary framework to spawn deep-tech innovation-based healthcare products.
In order to achieve India’s Vision Viksit Bharat@2047 goals with ‘health’ at its center, IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur have developed a pipeline of prototypes of novel medical technologies, developed out of joint academic programs in MedTech, which is training future MedTech entrepreneurs.
Salient features
Prof. Santanu Chaudhary, Director, IIT Jodhpur explained the salient features of the collaboration between IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur.
Indian patients receive medical technologies that were created for the developed world and are now adapted for local needs, he said.
This method of introducing novel medical technologies in India needs significant improvement as it cannot capture the diverse needs of Indian patients, said Director of IIT Jodhpur.
This collaboration is a step in that direction to bring about solutions to cater to Indian needs.
This first-of-its-kind joint degree program offered by IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur lets students identify needs from real-life problems and create deep-tech solutions, he said.
Joint Programs
IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur offer joint programs in medical technologies to students from engineering, medicine, nursing, bioengineering and allied fields.
Students from these diverse backgrounds are mentored through three phases of this academic program: Identify, Invent, and Implement. In the last phase of implementation, the students earn Biodesign fellowships, Prayas grants, and startup seed support to build small enterprises, say sources from IIT Jodhpur.
Ecosystem
IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur have created an ecosystem of innovation and have also incentivized it to promote the conversion of deep-tech research into products and technologies.
Some of the startups and technologies that spun out of the joint MedTech program have created futuristic technologies in various areas.
They are the areas of novel syringe design, digitally designing maxillofacial prosthetics, device to correct nasal septal defect without surgery, 3D cell models for precision oncology, non-animal disease models for drugs/formulation testing, nanosensor technologies for early disease diagnosis.
MedTech Startups
In a short span of time, under the leadership of IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur Directors, Prof. Santanu Chaudhury and Prof. Goverdhan Dutt Puri, students and faculty of the joint program have created several medical technology startups.
They have also created patents, technology transfers, and published research papers besides winning prestigious academic and entrepreneurship awards such as Prime Minister’s Research Fellow (PMRF).
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this unique collaboration between IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur in his speech on 5 October 2023.
Conference
IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur and JCKIF organized the yearly conference, Indian Conference on MedTech Innovations in February 2024.
This was a melting pot of scientists, engineers, physicians, MedTech startup founders, and leaders of the MedTech industry.
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Prof. Sanjay Behari, Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology spoke on problem identification, innovation and how to protect MedTech innovations through IPs.
Other highlights were insightful talks by academic leaders in the area such as Dr. Kalaivani Ganesan, a Scientist at the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
Seven MedTech startup founders and industry leaders shared their Tech-entrepreneurial journey.
The coordinators of the joint MedTech program, Prof. Sushmita Jha (IIT Jodhpur) and Prof. Shilpi Dixit (AIIMSJ) said they continuously strive to encourage students to work beyond publishing research papers and build technologies that are needed by patients in India.
About IIT Jodhpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur was established in 2008, to foster technology education and research in India. The institute is committed to technological thought and action to benefit the economic development of India.
Scholarship in teaching and learning; scholarship in research and creative accomplishments; and relevance to industry are three driving forces for us at IITJ.
IITJ functions from its sprawling residential Permanent Campus of 852 acres on National Highway 62, North-Northwest of Jodhpur towards Nagaur.
This campus is meticulously planned and envisioned to stand as a symbol of academics.
A large parcel of the Permanent Campus (of about 182 acres) is set aside for the development of a Technology Park to strengthen institute-industry interactions.
The institute is committed to a multidisciplinary approach of technology development.
IITJ, with its excellent track record of designing multi-disciplinary and transdisciplinary programs, has initiated the formation of Transdisciplinary Centres of Excellence.