In a significant move to bolster India's burgeoning medical technology landscape, the International Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR) Delhi has announced a strategic partnership with the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ). This collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aims to advance education, skill development, and applied research across the nation's rapidly growing medical devices and MedTech sector.
Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry
The core objective of this alliance is to reduce the critical gap between academic training and industry requirements. It seeks to achieve this by seamlessly integrating management education, policy expertise, and hands-on manufacturing exposure. As a pivotal part of this partnership, IIHMR Delhi will establish a satellite centre at the AMTZ campus in Visakhapatnam. This facility will enable the delivery of executive education programmes, industry-aligned skill courses, and joint academic-industry initiatives.
Combining Strengths for a Skilled Workforce
The collaboration marries the distinct strengths of both institutions. IIHMR Delhi brings its profound expertise in health system management, public health policy, and health economics. AMTZ contributes its world-class infrastructure for advanced manufacturing, testing, calibration, and innovation in the MedTech space. Dr. SD Gupta, Trustee Secretary of IIHMR, emphasised the timing of this move, stating, "The upcoming decade clearly belongs to medical devices. As devices increasingly shape healthcare outcomes, access and affordability, India should build strong management capability, regulatory understanding, and quality systems alongside innovation."
He added that the partnership combines a world-class MedTech ecosystem with IIHMR Delhi's management and policy expertise, creating a platform to train talent across the full lifecycle of medical devices.
Key Focus Areas and Future Impact
The partnership will concentrate on several key areas designed to create a tangible impact:
- Co-created curriculum and skilling programmes in medical device supply chain management, regulatory affairs, quality systems, and technology commercialisation.
- Faculty-led applied research focusing on device adoption, procurement frameworks, quality assurance, and regulatory impact. This research is expected to generate evidence to support the scaling up of domestic manufacturing and inform policy decisions.
This initiative is set to create a wider array of career options for students across diverse domains within healthcare. The introduction of specialised, certified management courses will directly address the critical need for skilled professionals in India's healthcare sector. Dr. Jitendra Sharma, MD and Founder CEO of AMTZ, also endorsed the collaboration, highlighting its potential to build a robust talent pipeline for the future of Indian MedTech innovation and manufacturing.
