Union Minister for Health Dr Mansukh Mandaviya said, research and innovation will play a crucial role in making the country a developed nation during Amrit Kal.

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the first edition of the Healthcare Summit at IIM Ahmedabad today, the Minister said, India has been one of the biggest suppliers of medicines in the world but the need of the hour is to make India a global hub of research and innovation in Health sector to achieve the dream of Self-reliant India.

Mr. Mandaviya said under the able leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the Government is focussing on developing a health ecosystem in the country by revising policies, making the healthcare sector accessible to rural masses and leveraging technology for better health care systems, and encouraging starts ups and private players in government procurement. 

He also added that the outlook of the world towards India has drastically changed after the COVID pandemic. The Minister said India was praised worldwide for its COVID management and vaccination drive. He urged young students to contribute to research and take benefit of the government's assistance to fulfill the dream of a Self-reliant India.

The chairman of Zydus life care Dr Pankaj Patel also pressed the need to develop human resources and technology to better provide healthcare to rural masses. He also stressed developing innovation hubs in Universities and colleges.

The theme of this Summit is Catalysing Innovation – Startup Ecosystem and Policy Research.

The Summit aims to bring together key Indian stakeholders and researchers from the government, industry, academia, and startups to discuss and strategise priorities that will catalyze innovation, foster partnerships, and shape the future of healthcare in India.