The next edition of the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2025, organised by the IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (ASIG), Alumni & External Relations Office and the Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS), was held on January 18, 2025, at the IIM Ahmedabad campus. The summit brought together over 300 healthcare leaders, policymakers, academics, startup founders, and industry experts to discuss and shape the future of healthcare in India. With the theme ‘Advancing Healthcare for India @ 2047’, the event aligned with the Government of India’s vision for a developed and healthy nation by its centenary year.
Setting the stage for change
The summit commenced with a welcome address by Prof. Sunil Maheshwari, Dean of Alumni & External Relations at IIMA, and Mr. Sudarshan Jain – Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), emphasising the growing role of healthcare management in solving industry-wide challenges. IIM Ahmedabad, through its Centre for Management of Health Services (CMHS), has been deeply engaged in healthcare research, policy development, and capacity building, playing a crucial role in India’s healthcare evolution.
Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director of IIMA, highlighted the institute’s commitment to healthcare transformation, while Mr. Pankaj Patel, Chairman of the IIMA Board of Governors and Zydus Life Sciences, outlined the bold aspirations for India’s healthcare sector, urging a shift towards innovation, patient-centric care, and global leadership in drug discovery.
Key Discussions and Takeaways:
- Healthcare Policy and Regulation
Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India, presented insights into India’s pharmaceutical leadership, supplying 40% of generic medicines to the U.S. and 60-70% of the global vaccine market. He emphasised the importance of a strong regulatory framework, the integration of AI in drug approvals, and the need for India to transition from a volume-driven to a value-driven pharmaceutical market by 2047.
Mr. Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, stressed the importance of resilience in healthcare, citing pandemic-related disruptions. He outlined strategies for expanding India’s pharmaceutical research and medtech sector, increasing investments in domestic R&D, and enhancing regulatory systems to support global competitiveness.
- Panel Discussions: Shaping Healthcare for 2047
The first panel, moderated by Mr. Sathya Prathipati (McKinsey), featured industry leaders Mr. Anish Bafna, CEO & MD, Healthium, Mr. Gautam Khanna, CEO, Hinduja, Mr. Marc Matar, Partner, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Simon-Kucher, and Dr. Om Manchanda, Managing Director, PathLabs. The distinguished panel explored India’s healthcare transformation:
- Technology and Accessibility: AI-driven diagnostics, wearable health devices, and remote monitoring solutions are crucial for expanding healthcare access in rural and underserved areas.
- Global Opportunities: India’s potential to lead in healthcare services and diagnostics through innovation and policy reforms.
- Healthcare Infrastructure: The urgent need for investment in hospital expansion, training healthcare professionals, and strengthening public health initiatives.
A second panel, moderated by Mr. Devdutt Marathe – Brookfield, featured executives Mr Sanjiv Navangul – MD and CEO of Bharat Serums, Mr Amit Mookim – CEO of Immuneal Therapeutics, Mr Varun Khanna – Group MD of Care hospitals, and Mr Rahul Agarwal – MD of Quadria Capital. Invigorating discussions revolved around innovations in cell and gene therapy, AI-driven clinical trials, and the evolving role of startups in healthcare transformation.
- Fireside Chat: The Future of Indian Pharma
A highly engaging fireside chat moderated by Prof Viswanath Pingali, IIMA, featuring Mr. Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharma, and Mr. Samir Mehta, Chairman, Torrent Group, provided a deep dive into India’s pharmaceutical landscape. They addressed global skepticism towards Indian pharma, emphasising the need for regulatory compliance, innovation in generics, and leveraging AI for drug discovery.
- The IIMA Healthcare Hackathon: Driving Innovation
One of the Summit’s standout events was the IIMA Healthcare Hackathon organised by Prof Tarun Jain and Prof Viswanath Pingali, IIMA, in coordination with IIMA Ventures, where young innovators pitched groundbreaking ideas to transform healthcare. The two winning startups were:
- Ivory – A cognitive health platform akin to Duolingo, enabling early detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s through AI-driven cognitive assessments.
- Bio Sampler – A non-invasive, at-home HPV detection tool designed to improve cervical cancer screening accessibility, particularly in low-resource settings.
These innovations showcased the power of data-driven, patient-centric solutions in addressing critical healthcare gaps.
- Emerging Healthcare Startups Showcase
The summit also featured an Emerging Startups Showcase and insights from India’s successful startups, led by Ms. Alka Goel, Alkemi, highlighting ventures disrupting healthcare with technology-driven solutions:
- Zeno Health – Making essential medicines affordable and accessible.
- Cloud Physician – AI-powered critical care solutions for hospitals.
- Lissun – A digital-physical hybrid model tackling mental healthcare accessibility.
These startups exemplify how technology and entrepreneurship can drive meaningful healthcare change in India.
- Keynote Address by Shri J.P. Nadda
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda delivered a powerful keynote, outlining the government’s commitment to Universal Healthcare through initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat. He highlighted India’s success in vaccine development, AI-powered TB screening, and medical education expansion, reinforcing the nation’s role as a global healthcare leader. He also called for the country to advance in its role as the global pharmacy and dispensary, as attested by India’s leadership in producing COVID-19 vaccines in record time and making life-saving medicines available to other countries.
- Path Forward: India’s Healthcare Agenda for 2047
The discussions throughout the summit underscored the urgent need for:
- Healthcare Infrastructure Expansion: Investing in hospitals, digital health systems, and medical workforce training.
- R&D and Innovation: Strengthening India’s research capabilities to lead in drug discovery, medical devices, and AI-driven healthcare solutions.
- Policy and Investment Reforms: Facilitating government and private sector collaboration to improve healthcare financing and regulatory frameworks.
- Patient-Centric Approaches: Ensuring accessibility and affordability remains at the core of healthcare innovations.
- Collaborations
Launch of the report “From LABS to JABS: Management Lessons from the Scale-Up of COVID-19 Vaccination in India”
The report “From LABS to JABS: Management Lessons from the Scale-Up of COVID-19 Vaccination in India” was launched at the Summit. From LABS to JABS, chronicles India’s remarkable journey in developing and deploying COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented scale. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced during vaccine research, manufacturing, and nationwide distribution. It highlights key management lessons, including strategic governance, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and process innovation. Through extensive primary and secondary research, the report explores how India balanced speed with safety and efficacy while overcoming resource, logistical, and infrastructural hurdles. It also underscores India’s transformation into a global leader in vaccine production, reinforcing its position as the “Pharmacy of the World.” This work serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and management experts seeking insights into large-scale crisis response and execution.
IIMA-Novo Nordisk Collaboration for Advancing Research in Healthcare and Capacity Building
IIMA and Novo Nordisk India Private Limited signed a Letter of Intent, for a research fund in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), obesity, and capacity building. Through this partnership, IIMA and Novo Nordisk will work together to advance research, build capacity, and develop data-driven insights that can drive better healthcare policies and interventions.
- Students’ interaction with Hon’ble Union Health Health Minister & Concluding remarks
On the sidelines of the summit, IIMA students interacted with the Hon’ble Minister, on a wide range of topics from Viksit Bharat to leadership in big organisations, leaving them inspired to be the change makers of the future.
Mr. Ulhas Joshi, Stratex Enterprises, delivered the concluding remarks, expressing gratitude to the distinguished speakers, moderators, the core organising team – Prof Viswanath Pingali, Prof Tarun Jain, Prof Rajesh Chandwani, Mr Sudarshan Jain (PGP 1977), Mr Ulhas Joshi (PGP 1977), Mr Kalpen Shukla (PGP 1986), Mr Anurag Choudhury (PGPX 2010) , Mr Paresh Rajpurohit (PGPX 2020), Ms Alka Goel (PGP 2000), Mr Devdutt Marathe (PGP 2009), Dr Rohit Singh Malan (PGPX 2023), Mr Hari Pranav (IPA), Mr Pradosh Thiya (AGM-AR), Ms Shreya Mehta (Executive – ASIG & New Initiatives), members of the Alumni & External Relations Office, and the Institute for their invaluable support.
The success of our IIMA Healthcare Summit was made possible through the support of our sponsors: Indegene, Sun Pharma, Zydus, and Abbott as Platinum sponsors; Torrent, Cipla, and Micro Labs as Gold sponsors; and Dr. Lal PathLabs as our Silver sponsor.
The IIMA Healthcare Summit 2025 successfully fostered meaningful discussions, sparked innovative ideas, and strengthened collaborations that will shape the trajectory of India’s healthcare sector. By bringing together thought leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, the summit reaffirmed IIMA’s commitment to advancing healthcare management and innovation.
The summit is envisioned to be an event that garners recognition as a must-attend event in India, akin to some of the prestigious international healthcare events held in the US. As India looks towards 2047, this summit has laid a strong foundation for sustainable, technology-driven, and equitable healthcare for all. The IIMA Healthcare Alumni SIG and CMHS will continue to drive these initiatives, ensuring that India’s healthcare system evolves to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.
