The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), a statutory body under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership for promoting innovation, intellectual property (IP) management, technology transfer and commercialization of research outcomes in the Indian System of Medicine.

The Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between Cmde. Amit Rastogi (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, NRDC, and Dr. Maneesha Kothekar, Chairperson, NCISM, in the presence of Dr. Allamprabhu Gudda, President, Board of Ayurveda (BOA); Prof. Asim Ali Khan, President, Board of Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa (BUSSR); Dr. Atul Babu Varshney, Member, Board of Ayurveda (BOA); and senior officials of NRDC and NCISM.

The MoU provides a comprehensive framework for collaboration to identify, protect, develop and commercialize innovative technologies and intellectual property generated by NCISM-regulated institutions and registered practitioners of the Indian Systems of Medicine. The partnership seeks to bridge the gap between research and commercialization by creating an enabling ecosystem for innovation-driven growth in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa.

Under the collaboration, NRDC will extend its expertise in intellectual property protection, patent and trademark facilitation, technology assessment, valuation, licensing, technology transfer, industry linkage and commercialization of technologies. The Corporation will also provide mentoring to innovators, facilitate incubation support, promote industry-sponsored research, and assist institutions in developing effective intellectual property management practices and commercialization strategies.

NCISM will facilitate engagement between NRDC and its regulated institutions, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (RIED) Cells, and registered medical practitioners across the country. Institution-specific technical, commercial and financial engagements arising from the collaboration will be undertaken directly between NRDC and the respective institutions or innovators.

The collaboration will support a broad spectrum of activities, including identification and protection of intellectual property, patent and trademark filing, innovation mentoring, entrepreneurship development, institutional IP policy formulation, capacity-building programmes, innovation awareness initiatives, ideathons, hackathons, technology showcases, industry interactions, and the dissemination of research and innovation success stories. The partnership will also encourage the translation of academic and clinical research into validated products, technologies and services capable of addressing healthcare needs while contributing to the growth of the innovation ecosystem in the Indian System of Medicine.

Speaking on the occasion, Cmde. Amit Rastogi (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, NRDC, said that the collaboration would create a robust mechanism for supporting innovators and researchers working in the Indian System of Medicine. He noted that NRDC's expertise in intellectual property management and technology commercialization would help transform promising research into commercially deployable technologies, thereby enhancing societal impact and contributing to the vision of an innovation-driven and self-reliant India.

Dr. Maneesha Kothekar, Chairperson, NCISM, emphasized that the partnership marks an important step towards strengthening the research and innovation ecosystem across NCISM-regulated institutions. She stated that by integrating scientific research, innovation management and commercialization support, the collaboration would encourage researchers, faculty members and practitioners to develop evidence-based technologies and healthcare solutions rooted in India's rich traditional medical knowledge.

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NKR/AK

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