India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre invites applications for first cohort

The India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre on Thursday invited applications for the first cohort of its healthcare innovation challenge. 

A collaboration between the Swedish Trade Commissioner’s Office, and AIIMS Delhi and Jodhpur, the centre looks to promote research in non-communicable diseases and help Indian startups in the sector scale. The centre was reportedly set up last year. 

Applications for the programme will be accepted till September 27, a statement said, adding that the winner will be announced in the last week of October.

Companies working on med-tech, telemedicine and artificial intelligence (AI)-backed solutions that seek to improve the efficiency of the healthcare systems during the pandemic will be considered.

Startups chosen for the programme will partner with the India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre and get access to cross-country mentorship, incubation centers at the AIIMS Jodhpur campus, lab facilities, guidance on funding and ability to ideate with global innovators, the statement said. Additionally, they will have access to the incubation facility at NASSCOM, Bengaluru, it said. 

Apart from NASSCOM, the centre has a partnership with think tank NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission programme, government-backed initiative Startup India as well as research and development company Vinnova.

“The healthcare system in India is undergoing a rapid transformation. Electronic health records, m-health services, wearable tracking devices, telehealth and other digital transformation tools are pivotal to complete patient experience. Innovators in these areas can avail the incubation facility at our campus through India-Sweden Healthcare innovation center to enhance their products and scale up solutions,” Sanjeev Misra, director of AIIMS Jodhpur, said.

Additionally, the website for the programme was launched by Rajesh Bhushan, secretary of the ministry of health and family welfare, and Balram Bhargava, secretary of the department of health and the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, the statement said. 

In December, the two countries established the Sweden-India Transport Innovation and Safety Platform (SITIS) as a long-term platform and a centre for excellence for traffic safety research.