Youth can drive healthcare innovation, says GIMSR Pro Vice-Chancellor
India’s youth can help solve the country’s healthcare challenges by adopting technologies such as artificial intelligence, mobile-based platforms, and low-cost diagnostic tools, B. Geetanjali, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, said on Thursday.
She was speaking after inaugurating BioMed Bharat 2026, a two-day national Biomedical Device Innovation Hackathon, on the GITAM Deemed-to-be University campus here.
Ms. Geetanjali urged participants to use AI, robotics, and 3D printing to design affordable medical devices suited to domestic needs, reducing reliance on imports. She noted that 22 greenfield projects had been sanctioned under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices, paving the way for 55 high-end devices to be manufactured in India.
Dean of the GITAM School of Business, Raja P. Pappu, said that while local assembly capacity had expanded, critical components were still being imported, widening the trade deficit. He called for focused support in component manufacturing, skill development, and clinical trial assistance to bridge the gap.
Students from across the country took part in the hackathon, competing for a prize pool of ₹4.5 lakh, with the winning team receiving ₹1 lakh.
GITAM provided travel, accommodation, mentorship, and industry networking support to participants, and announced plans for incubation assistance through the proposed GITAM MedTech Innovation ecosystem, developed in collaboration with Blockchain for Impact.