Pfizer has recently partnered with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, and Social Alpha to select 20 high-potential healthcare and biotech startups under the Pfizer INDovation IP Support Programme 2025–26, India's first structured initiative focused on placing intellectual property strategy at the core of healthcare innovation.

Each of the 20 selected startups will receive grants of INR 1.50 lakh along with structured Intellectual Property (IP) support for filing and protecting innovations in India and international jurisdictions through FITT IIT Delhi. The programme is designed to strengthen the IP capabilities of healthcare startups and help innovators build robust protection strategies from an early stage. Participating startups will receive support including patentability assessment, prior-art searches, patent strategy development, filing guidance and access to legal and technical expertise required to secure and manage intellectual assets.

The selected cohort was unveiled at "Translating What's Next: Securing the Future of Innovation", held at the Research and Innovation Park, IIT Delhi. The event brought together leaders from healthcare, public policy, venture capital, academia and India's innovation ecosystem to discuss the growing importance of intellectual property, regulation, and technology translation in healthcare innovation.

The Pfizer INDovation IP Support Programme 2025–26 has been initiated by Pfizer, whose global purpose is to deliver breakthroughs that change patients' lives, in collaboration with FITT, IIT Delhi; one of India's leading technology transfer and innovation organization that has facilitated hundreds of industry-academia collaborations, more than 1600 patents, and more than 300 startup launches across sectors and Social Alpha, a leading innovation curation and venture development platform focused on science and technology-led solutions. Together, the three organisations bring global pharmaceutical expertise, technology transfer experience, and innovation ecosystem leadership to strengthen one of the most critical aspects of India's healthcare startup ecosystem: the protection and management of intellectual property.

The programme arrives at a pivotal moment for Indian healthcare. National initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission are creating interoperable digital health infrastructure at scale, while the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision has placed innovation-led growth at the center of India's development agenda. At the same time, India's startup ecosystem continues to produce globally ambitious founders building technologies capable of addressing healthcare challenges both within and beyond the country.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. M. Srinivas, Former Director, AIIMS New Delhi and full time Member, NITI Aayog, emphasised the transformative role of digital health infrastructure in enabling equitable healthcare access.

"The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is not merely a government scheme; it is the digital spine of a new India. Interoperable health infrastructure, data-driven systems and technology-enabled access will fundamentally rewrite who gets care, when they get it and how."

Pfizer India's decision to invest CSR resources toward strengthening startup IP capabilities reflects the growing recognition that scientific innovation must be accompanied by strong intellectual property protection to maximize impact and create sustainable value.

Sharad Goswami, Senior Director, Global Policy and International Public Affairs, Pfizer, said, "Sustainable healthcare transformation cannot happen in silos. It demands innovation-driven policy, cross-sector collaboration, and ecosystem partnerships that help innovators build and protect solutions capable of addressing healthcare challenges at scale." 

A key theme emerging from the event was the need for healthcare innovators to view intellectual property not merely as a legal requirement but as a strategic asset. Strong IP foundations can help startups establish technology ownership, strengthen competitive differentiation, attract partnerships and unlock long-term value from research and innovation.

Experts highlighted that many early-stage ventures focus heavily on product development while underestimating the importance of protecting their innovations. Programmes such as INDovation seek to address this gap by making specialized IP expertise more accessible to founders developing high-impact healthcare technologies.

Protecting What India Builds

India continues to produce world-class healthcare science and innovation. However, many promising technologies remain insufficiently protected, limiting their ability to create long-term value and global competitiveness.

The INDovation programme has been designed to address this challenge by equipping selected startups with the technical, strategic and legal support required to identify, protect, and manage their intellectual property assets. By strengthening access to IP expertise and guidance, the initiative aims to help innovators secure ownership of their technologies and build stronger foundations for future growth.

Tarun Chaturvedi, COO, FITT IIT Delhi, said, "The gap between innovation and impact often lies in how effectively intellectual property is identified, protected and managed. Through initiatives like INDovation, we aim to empower healthcare innovators with the tools and expertise needed to safeguard their innovations and create long-term value." 

The 20 startups selected under the Pfizer INDovation IP Support Programme 2025–26 are: Greenathon Technologies, Prakriti AI Technologies, Adsys Medtech, MedKern, B Cell Biologics India, Physiomize, Hiclousia Innovation and Technical Solution, In-Self, Medvolt Tech, DRomics Labs, Ripple Healthcare, Deepmouli Innovations, BabyCue, Anirveda Engineering, Avalg Bionics, Pragmatech Healthcare Solutions, Renu MedTech, RNT Health Insights, Immunyfit Healthtech, and Nexstem India.

The programme represents a significant step toward strengthening India's healthcare innovation ecosystem by ensuring that promising scientific and technological breakthroughs are supported with the intellectual property frameworks necessary to protect, scale, and create lasting impact.