STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday launched Global Health Innovation Fellowship to promote Med Tech StartUps and innovators among youth.
He also presided over the signing of MoU between Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The Minister informed that the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India and WIPO fellowships will be implemented in the DBT Bio-design centers at IIT Delhi and AIIMS, New Delhi; IITB and Hinduja and Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai.
Dr Jitendra said, as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find scientific solutions to the unmet health-related needs and challenges, this initiative will promote intellectual property and public health.
He said, the move will also enhance institutional collaboration and help provide a valuable platform for young innovators to develop impactful solutions to address global health challenges.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the partners received 157 applications from young professionals across the world including low- and middle-income countries.
Lauding the efforts of the DBT and WIPO, Dr Jitendra Singh remarked, “This is a flagship partnership and must be strengthened to enable India attain global leadership in innovation and startup promotion”.
Daren Tang, Director General, WIPO said, the successful landing of Chandrayan-3 on the South Pole of the Moon has demonstrated to the World India’s Scientific prowess. Tang promised all help from WIPO to make India a Global Space Technology Hub and also a role model of South-South cooperation. He promised meaningful cooperation in the areas of Biotech Fellows and Start-ups and in the field of Innovations. Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India said “This partnership will enable us to co-develop national, regional and global institutional capacities of innovators across regions to collaboratively address global health challenges, including by promoting Global South-South cooperation”.
Professor Abhay Karandikar said in his remarks that the Department of Science and Technology is one of India’s oldest organizations to promote innovations and of late it is taking up several incubators by Start-ups.
Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary DSIR, said that WIPO should act as a catalyst to make India’s Technology gain Global acceptability.