IIT Kanpur inaugurates Wadhwani Innovation Centre for Life Sciences and Medical Technologies - The Indian Express

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has established the Wadhwani Innovation Centre for Life Sciences and Medical Technologies, a Centre of Excellence aimed at translating research into healthcare products and solutions.

The centre will receive a contribution of $5 million over five years to support the development, validation and commercialisation of innovations in life sciences, biotechnology, medical technologies and AI-enabled healthcare services.

The centre was inaugurated in the presence of Upendra Kumar Singh, Director General, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi.

After the inaugural ceremony, IIT Kanpur also hosted a one-day workshop on ‘Translational Research and Regulatory Pathways: Bridging Innovation to Healthcare Impact’, bringing experts from academia, healthcare, industry and regulatory agencies on the same platform for discussion.

The Centre will support research across therapeutics, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics, while also focusing on growing areas such as neurodegenerative diseases, mental health, antimicrobial resistance and AI-enabled healthcare.

In addition to the academic support, it will assist researchers with technology validation, intellectual property and regulatory processes, with connecting their innovations with industry for technology transfer and commercialisation, according to IIT Kanpur.

As stated by the director of IIT Kanpur, Manindra Agrawal, the institute with its biomedical research ecosystem, expertise in regenerative medicine, molecular medicine, neuroscience and artificial intelligence, and research in emerging areas of healthcare will work with the established Centre of Excellence to translate research into products through technology development and transfer, entrepreneurship and commercialisation.