Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, AGNIi, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT-Delhi, Pfizer and Social Alpha have come together to launch the Pfizer INDovation Programme to support breakthrough healthcare innovations by start-ups in India. Social Alpha is the core implementation partner responsible for executing the program.

This is Version 2.0 of the Pfizer IIT-Delhi Innovation and IP Program and is one of Pfizer’s CSR initiatives. In Version 1, Pfizer successfully incubated 9 healthcare innovators and supported 19 IP filings.

Now, in the first year of Version 2.0, three winning startups each in the areas of Oncology and Digital Health, will receive a grant of up to Rs 65 lakh each for product trials, pilot studies, and product market launches to accelerate the lab-to-market journey of their innovation. This is one of the largest such programmes, both by grant value and partnerships, to focus on incubating and commercialising healthcare start-ups in the country.

AIM and NITI Aayog will provide the startups with access to their entire network of incubators and facilities via co-incubation and will also provide technical and strategic advisory to support to both the program and the startups.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi), will be the principal incubation partner while customised incubation support will be provided across technology incubation centers such as the IITs, other major technology institutes and incubation network of Atal Innovation Mission across India. Social Alpha, as the implementation partner, will support startups to accelerate their lab-to-market journey.

The programme is also being supported by AGNIi, PATH, AHPI, St Johns Research Institute, HCG Hospitals, Cytecare Hospitals, FICCI, UNHIEX, Google for Startups, Design Alpha, HIMSS, Marico Innovation Foundation, and TenX2.