~Focused on Life Sciences, new Centre will accelerate commercialization across biotechnology, MedTech and AI-enabled healthcare~
National, September 16th, 2026: With only 1–2% of India’s research currently reaching the market, the Wadhwani- IIT Kanpur Innovation Centre in Life Sciences and Medtech was inaugurated today to help bridge this critical research-to-market gap. Backed by up to US$5 million in funding over five years, the Centre will accelerate promising research from scientific discovery to commercial deployment across life sciences, biotechnology, MedTech and AI-enabled healthcare. It was inaugurated by Dr. Upendra Kumar Singh, Director General – Soldier Support System, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi.
The Centre will support high-potential research across therapeutics, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, lifestyle and neurodegenerative diseases, mental health, vaccine development, antimicrobial resistance, medical devices and diagnostics, as well as AI-enabled healthcare. Researchers will be supported from proof of concept and technology development through validation, intellectual property, regulatory pathways, industry partnerships and commercialization.
The Centre is part of the Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN), Wadhwani Foundation’s flagship innovation initiative in India, which is building a national network of Innovation Centres with leading academic and research institutions to strengthen India’s research translation and commercialization capabilities. WIN receives funding from Wadhwani Charitable Foundation (WCF).
The Centre will bring together researchers, clinicians, innovators, industry, entrepreneurs and domain experts, providing access to mentorship, industry engagement, technology and product roadmaps, commercialization support, and funding and collaboration opportunities. It will also facilitate technology transfer and the creation of research-led ventures.
Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, said, “IIT Kanpur has a multidisciplinary biomedical research ecosystem spanning regenerative medicine, molecular medicine and gene therapy, neuroscience and bioengineering, along with strong expertise in artificial intelligence and intelligent systems. The Wadhwani-IIT Kanpur Innovation Centre will help accelerate the translation of this cutting-edge research into products by enabling technology development, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and commercialization. We look forward to strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and creating pathways for research to deliver real-world impact.”
Dr. Shirshendu Mukherjee, Managing Director – Wadhwani Innovation Network, said, “India has no shortage of breakthrough science. The opportunity is to build stronger pathways that take that science from the lab to the market. Through WIN, we are connecting researchers with the expertise, industry partnerships, capital and commercialization support needed to make that transition. The Wadhwani-IIT Kanpur Innovation Centre – Life Sciences is an important step towards building this capability at scale across India.”
Prof. Ashok Kumar, Professor in Charge and Prof. Santosh Misra, Co-Professor in Charge, WIN-CoE, IIT Kanpur said that “WIN-CoE will strengthen the pathway from research to real-world impact by fostering collaboration among scientists, engineers and clinical partners. The Centre will help researchers move beyond scientific discovery by addressing real-world healthcare needs and supporting technology development, validation and translation. By bringing together multidisciplinary expertise, modern tools, clinical insights and innovation capabilities, WIN-CoE aims to accelerate the development of scientifically robust, practically relevant and market-ready biomedical technologies.”
As India strengthens its ambitions in biotechnology, healthcare innovation, AI and deep tech, translating scientific research into technologies, products and ventures will be critical to realizing greater economic and societal value from the country’s research capabilities. The Wadhwani IIT Kanpur Innovation Centre – Life Sciences aims to help turn more Indian science into innovation, enterprise and national impact.