J.P. Nadda Calls for Collaborative Efforts to Shape India’s Healthcare Future at IIMA Healthcare Summit
Union Health Minister Emphasizes Role of Industry and Academia in Formulating a Roadmap for Advancing Healthcare in India
BILKULONLINE
Ahmedabad, Jan 18: The Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS) and the Alumni & External Relations Office at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), in collaboration with the IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (ASIG) organised the second edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit today on the theme of “Advancing Healthcare for India @ 2047”.
J. P. Nadda, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Government of India, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and delivered an insightful keynote address providing an all-round view of India’s position in the healthcare sector and the way forward.
Addressing the audience at the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2025, comprising of leaders, researchers, and innovators from the healthcare ecosystem of the country, Shri J. P. Nadda said, “India’s remarkable healthcare evolution over the past decade is marked by significant achievements such as expanding medical infrastructure, including significant growth in the number of AIIMS and medical colleges; strengthening of public healthcare with initiatives like Ayushman Bharat and Mission Indradhanush, which are improving health outcomes for millions; implementation of robust disease control measures that is exemplified by a substantial dip in malaria cases and the COVID-19 pandemic response, and so on. Our commitment to accessible healthcare has led to transformative change. By fulfilling about 20% of the global generic drug supply by volume and producing 60% of the world’s vaccines, India now stands as a global leader in affordable medicines and vaccines.”
Underlining the significance of technology integration into healthcare delivery and efforts being made by the government in this direction, Shri Nadda further added, “The MedTech sector is rapidly growing, and it is expected to reach USD 30 billion by 2030. With the expansion of digital health infrastructure, like Ayushman Bharat Health Account IDs, telemedicine, and AI integration, we are enhancing healthcare access, fostering a compassionate and quality workforce, and making strides towards self-reliance and affordability in medical solutions for all. As we aim for Viksit Bharat 2047, let us foster innovation and collaboration across sectors, be it management, medicine, engineering, or social sciences, ensuring a people-centric approach in delivering quality healthcare to every citizen.”
In his concluding remarks the Minister exhorted the industry and academia to contribute to policy interventions with their research and said, “Research work of the industry and academia is meant to be implemented in policy and we as policymakers are ready to do it. You suggest to us the roadmap for policy interventions, innovations, and collaborations, and we will support you in every way to build that road.” Later, he also interacted with the students of IIMA and motivated them to think big and work towards building futuristic healthcare for billions.
Presenting the opening remarks, Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said, “In the past few decades, India has made significant strides in the healthcare sector. We are proud to host this conference as it aligns with our core values. IIMA as an institute not only creates corporate leaders, but the output that we have been producing has made an impact in various fields of managing the public systems. We are committed to leveraging its strengths in research and management to nurture future healthcare leaders and managers who can drive innovation and optimise healthcare delivery.” Highlighting the important work carried out by IIMA’s Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS), Professor Bhasker added, “Lately CMHS has been focusing on managing challenges related to non-communicable diseases as we find that nearly 60% of deaths in India are caused by non-communicable diseases. In the past decade, the CMHS has produced more than 20 research papers in top journals and created six case studies.”
Talking about significant milestones in the healthcare sector in his inaugural address, Pankaj Patel, Chairperson of IIMA Board of Governors and Chairperson of Zydus Lifesciences, said, “As a nation, we have made tremendous strides in healthcare over the last few years. There has been significant growth in healthcare reach and a large part of our population today in tier 2 and tier 3 cities are able to avail healthcare services of excellent quality. It is a matter of great pride for India as we are one of the top producers of generic drugs and rank third globally in pharmaceutical production by volume”.
Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India, and Amit Agrawal, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, also addressed the audience and gave a comprehensive view of the current drug delivery and regulatory system in the country and future potential.
Recognising the potential of youth to drive healthcare innovation, IIMA also organised a Healthcare Hackathon as a pre-summit event for students and startups which received innovative ideas on the theme of Digital Strategies for Universal Health Coverage by 2047 and Managing Noncommunicable Diseases by 2047. The winner and first runner-up of the Hackathon made presentations during the event and were presented with awards by J. P. Nadda. He also released a research report by IIMA titled “From Labs to Jabs – Management Lessons from Scale-up of Covid-19 Vaccination in India”.
With nearly 600 registrations from professionals in the healthcare sector, the Healthcare Summit 2025 served as a significant platform for meaningful dialogue and actionable insights. The day-long event featured two panel discussions, 1) “Advancing Healthcare for India @ 2047” and 2) “Transforming Healthcare – Insights from India’s Emerging Companies”, where industry leaders engaged in thoughtful discussions about future opportunities in the sector and what can be the roadmap to attain the healthcare goals.
The event also witnessed a Fireside Chat with Dilip Sanghavi, Chairperson of Sun Pharma; and Samir Mehta, Chairperson of Torrent Group; and Emerging Healthcare Start-ups Showcase. The IIMA Centre for Management of Health Services, known for its impactful healthcare research, also highlighted its work done until now and outlined pathways for further research to advance inclusive healthcare by 2047.
