

NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has asked all medical colleges and institutions to encourage faculty, researchers, clinicians and students to use the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) ‘Medical Innovations Patent Mitra’ platform for patent filing and technology transfer.
In an advisory issued to medical colleges across the country, NMC Secretary Dr Raghav Langer said the initiative has been launched to strengthen India's biomedical innovation ecosystem by supporting patent protection and technology transfer of healthcare innovations developed by institutions.
The ‘Medical Innovations Patent Mitra’ initiative provides fully government-funded support for patent filing and technology transfer, enabling researchers and innovators to protect their intellectual property and translate research into healthcare products and technologies.
The Commission said the initiative is in line with its objective of promoting research, innovation and excellence in medical education, and asked institutions to widely publicise it among faculty members, clinicians, researchers and students.
“Active participation by medical colleges and institutions will play an important role in strengthening India's healthcare innovation ecosystem and accelerating the conversion of research into impactful healthcare solutions,” the advisory dated July 1 said.
According to ICMR, the platform supports quality patent filing and strategic management of intellectual property by providing expert assistance for innovations developed under ICMR-supported projects.
The Patent Mitra platform was launched under the guidance of NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) and with support from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
The initiative aims to strengthen biomedical innovation by providing patent and technology transfer support at every stage of the patent process. It also seeks to promote quality patent filings and facilitate the transfer of biomedical innovations into practical healthcare solutions for public benefit.