Health ministry launches ICMR/DHR Policy on Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Mumbai, February 25, 2022:

The Union health ministry has launched ICMR/ DHR Policy on Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship for medical professionals, scientists and technologists at medical, dental, para-medical institutes.

Speaking at the policy launch, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare said “This Policy will ensure multi-disciplinary collaboration, promote start-up culture and develop an innovation led ecosystem at Medical Institutes across the country by promoting Make-in India, Start-Up-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. This Policy resonates with the motto of Prime Minister to “Innovate, Patent, Produce and Prosper”.

Acknowledging research and innovation as primary pillars that propel any country towards growth and development in a competitive global canvas, Dr Mandaviya said, “It is time that India also demonstrates its strength and mettle through research, entrepreneurship and innovative initiatives in the health sector, including medical devices. Under the leadership and guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister, India has taken several notable steps towards self-reliance and self-sustenance, especially in vaccine development during the pandemic period. I am very hopeful that this Policy of DHR-ICMR unveiled today will motivate, incentivise and give a fillip to all the stakeholders. It will ensure multi-disciplinary collaboration, promote start-up culture and develop an innovation led ecosystem at the medical institutes across the country by promoting Make-in India, Start-Up-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives of the Government of India.”

ICMR/DHR will disseminate the policy at pan India level to spur the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country for a wider societal impact.

The policy aims at encouraging medical institutes for innovation and ‘Make in India’ a success.

There are 605 medical colleges and 23 IITs in the country. More than 1 lakh medical professionals graduate every year.

There is no IP and entrepreneurship policy in most of the medical colleges as compared to engineering colleges. Only 15 per cent medical colleges have laid down IP policy as against 85 per cent of engineering colleges. Medical institutes have contributed only 5 per cent patent filings from 2010 to 2020. Rest was filed by engineering institutes.

The policy’s vision is to create an innovation-led entrepreneurial ecosystem in India with the ultimate goal of positively impacting human health and well-being. Its mission is to formulate an overarching policy for creating nationwide innovation and entrepreneurial framework at medical colleges, hospitals, institutes for societal impact.

The policy aims to encourage medical colleges to create enabling policies and ecosystems for innovation and entrepreneurship development by its faculty, students, staff. It also aims to promote biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship by medical professionals to foster development of unmet need driven, socially impactful technologies/ products for societal benefit.

The scope of the policy covers medical/paramedical colleges/institutes, biomedical research institutes, academic institutions as well as medical professionals/doctors, scientists, paramedical staff, research/academic staff, technicians.

The policy gave mandate to medical colleges to create enabling policies and ecosystems for innovation and entrepreneurship development by its faculty/student/staff.

With the launch of policy, medical institutes will be able to come out with IP management policy. It will enable medical professionals to launch their startups. Besides this, it will also encourage inter-institutional and industry collaborations through PPP mode. With this, medical colleges have been asked to set up an office of licensing of innovation ventureship and enterprise (OLIVEs) to encourage medical professionals to learn, involve and take up entrepreneurship. OLIVEs will provide hand holding to innovators for IP management, startup company formation/ incubation facility, business development and techno-legal support. OLIVEs will also provide innovators led startups with services of chartered accountant/company secretary, patent attorneys who in turn can avail 2-10 per cent equity in incubated startups. OLVEs will also help startups in royalty management. Startup established at OLIVE permitted for 3 years to enable time bound exit.

It also encourages formation of a legal entity. The policy also encourages medical colleges to develop and implement interdisciplinary curriculum.

As per the policy, innovators can take adjunct positions in a company such as non-executive director or scientific advisor or consultant. They can undertake inter-institutional and industry projects/consultancy projects alone or through companies. They can license technologies to business entities leading to commercialization, revenue generation for self-sustenance and societal benefit. They may act as a licensor. Under the policy, sabbatical is permitted for translational company work. Innovators can outsource sponsored research/ consultancy agreement.

The policy also entailed entrepreneurial impact assessment wherein medical colleges can monitor and evaluate IP filed, technologies licensed, products developed, commercialized by medical professionals for their promotion. They can also consider employment generated; startups created by the innovators for their promotion. Medical colleges can also be evaluated on support system provided—training staff, technology incubation, industrial collaboration, entrepreneurial ecosystem etc as well as sustainable social, financial and technological impact through product deployment.

It also outlined a policy review mechanism. ICMR-DHR will formulate a standing sub—committee to review the policy periodically to address the challenges faced in its implementation. It will be a consultative and evidence-based strategy for revision.

The expected outcomes of the policy are upgradation in national and international institutional rankings of medical colleges, satisfactory career path for medical professionals and active contribution of medical professionals in startup India, Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat government initiatives.

Prof. Balram Bharagava, Secretary, DHR and Director General, ICMR said “The ICMR/DHR policy on Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Medical Professionals is a game changer. It will enable medical institutions to actively support their personnel in contributing towards the innovation and entrepreneurial ventures with the ultimate goal of positively impacting human-health & well-being. It resonates with the motto of our Prime Minister to “Innovate, Patent, Produce and Prosper”. I am very hopeful that this policy will bring about a paradigm shift in the innovation and entrepreneurship culture in the country and will have far reaching impact on all the medical colleges and institutes across the country.” Pharmabiz