New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) participated in the national programme ‘विज्ञान–Tech’, organised on the occasion of National Technology Day 2026 at BRIC–National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi. Coordinated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the programme reflected a Whole-of-Government approach, bringing together 14 Scientific Ministries and Departments to celebrate India’s scientific excellence and technological advancements.
The event was graced by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, who inaugurated the national technology exhibition and interacted with innovators and exhibitors. Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Dr Rajiv Behl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and DG ICMR, was also present on the occasion.
As part of its showcase, ICMR exhibited six high-impact indigenous technologies spanning the Biopharma, Health, and Bioindustrial & Green Chemicals sectors. These included Covaxin, the COVID Kavach ELISA Kit, a CRISPR-Cas-based TB Detection System, the Nipah Point-of-Care Assay, a Diagnostic ELISA Kit for Dengue Detection, and a Biolarvicide for Mosquito Control.
In addition, 25 promising technologies and innovations developed by various ICMR institutes were featured in the official compendium released during the event. These innovations highlighted ICMR’s significant contributions in diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, disease surveillance, and translational research, reinforcing its commitment to addressing national health priorities through indigenous research and innovation.
A major highlight of the programme was the transfer of three ICMR-developed technologies to industry partners through licensing agreements facilitated under the Medical Innovations Patent Mitra initiative of ICMR.
The first technology, titled “Development of a Cost-Effective PSP94 ELISA for Guiding Prostate Biopsy Decisions in Patients with PSA less than 20 ng/ml,” was developed by Dr. Dhanashree Jagtap, Dr. Smita Mahale, and Dr. Bhakti Pathak at ICMR–National Institute for Research in Women’s Health (ICMR-NIRWoH). The technology was licensed to Krishgen Labs Pvt. Ltd.
The second technology transfer involved a “Factor VIII Inhibitor / Coagulation Disorder Point-of-Care Diagnostic,” developed by Dr. Rucha Patil at ICMR–National Institute for Research on Blood and Immune Disorders (ICMR-NIRBID). The technology was licensed to Meril Life Sciences.
The third technology, “Single-Tube Multiplex Real-Time RT-PCR for Detection of Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika Viruses,” was developed by Dr. Alagarasu K at ICMR–National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) and licensed to Vanguard Life Sciences.
These technology transfers were undertaken during the National Technology Transfer and MoU Exchange Session, held alongside the release of a national compendium showcasing technologies developed by autonomous institutes and laboratories of participating Ministries and Departments.
The successful transfer of these technologies underscores ICMR’s commitment to protecting publicly funded innovations through structured intellectual property support while enabling their seamless translation into industry-ready solutions. The initiative aligns with the vision of Make in Bharat by promoting indigenous manufacturing, strengthening the medical innovation value chain, and fostering a self-reliant healthcare ecosystem.
