ICMR signed agreements with several IITs and IIT-like institutes including IIT Kanpur, Kharagpur, Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras, Guwahati and Amity University to set up the ICMR-DHR Centre of Excellence (CoE).

The centre will target fostering strategic Make-in-India product development in synergising with the requirement of the National Health Missions, Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres and Public Health programs of the GoI for major public health impact.

The project will be implemented in collaboration with medical institutes and industry partners to drive unmet healthcare needs and to ensure scaled-up and effective commercialization.

India is currently importing 80% of its medical devices used for the healthcare sector. To bridge this gap, IITs along with ICMR and DHR are conducting clinical trials of the innovative new medical products under the Make-in-India initiative. Post research, IITs will collaborate with the medical institutes to develop affordable and inclusive healthcare solutions for their wider adoption.

"The setting up of CoE at IITs is a new ecosystem-driven approach with a mission of bringing high-end healthcare technologies for neglected communities, catering to the last mile," said Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR.

Additionally, ICMR-DHR has jointly developed the Medical Product Gateway of India at IIT Delhi under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) scheme. This has been done to support the pandemic preparedness of the country, as the scheme aims at developing diagnostics and medical technologies for epidemiological preparedness under its ambit.