I’m Dr. Barampiv.
I’m a professor of cardiology at the Dolland Institute of Medical Sciences at New Delhi.
And I have been helping run the Stanford and Dubai Design Program for the last seven odd
years.
The Stanford and Dubai Biodesign Program is a program which is collaboration between Stanford
University, IIT Delhi, and the Old Indian Institute of Medical Sciences.
This program had a vision to create the next generation of medtech innovators in India
to innovate low-cost medical devices for India and which would ultimately be useful for the
global market.
Innovation in India is very much in its infancy, but it is very positive.
And I think the opportunity is immense, and a lot of innovation can be done in India.
But there are issues in terms of advanced technology development, which is a problem
when you get into complicated electronics and sensors and electricals, then we are – we're
not the best.
But in terms of the clinical needs, finding those needs and sorting out those needs and
coming up with solutions, the simple mechanical solutions are easier done.
But when it comes to complicated technology then we are still not there.
What India needs most from aspiring innovators is that first of all they need to be socially
committed.
And there is a large population in the country which needs
low-cost, affordable medical technologies.
And, therefore, these innovators have to be very, very socially committed.
And if they can innovate low-cost, affordable devices then it’s a win-win situation not
only for the patients but for the innovators because the market size is huge.
And whatever they innovate at low cost or affordable will ultimately be used in the
Western populations as well as because of Obama Care and the NHS cutting costs, and
so it’s going to be useful globally as well.
the important lessons that have emerged are that, first of all, it is very different from
innovation in the West.
You have to be a part of the system.
You have to – the country is very diverse; northward to south; eastward and west.
There are different social structures that are there in India so the innovators have
to really identify themselves with the masses to really do the need finding.
They need to understand the culture.
They need to understand the sensitivities, and that is when they can innovate or come
up with the needs.
In terms of development of their innovations, there are lots of limitations in terms of
difficulties in doing animal studies, so we have to bypass them by doing cadaveric studies
that are – with the advantages of finding people who will be able to help out, and their
available more easily than in the West to find people to help out furthering their innovations.
In terms of getting grants, venture really doesn’t exist in India in a big way, but
the government is funding and the government does support the initial funding for developing
the innovations.
International grants are available and India is becoming far more and more competitive
for these international grants for innovations.
… innovators who are planning to innovate for India, should go by the motto that they
have to develop a product which is with the vision that it should be more for less, for
more.
So that would be the bottom line.
You have to innovate more for less, for more.