New Delhi: The 24th Prime Minister Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) meeting, convened by the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, took place today at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. This significant gathering brought together key government officials, experts from the medical and health industry, and PM-STIAC members to deliberate on priority areas within the health products ecosystem.
The central theme of the meeting was the assessment of India’s regulatory system, specifically focusing on the current processes, challenges faced by stakeholders, and opportunities for improvement. The objective was to provide recommendations for establishing a robust regulatory framework.
Distinguished attendees included Scientific Secretary Dr. Parvinder Maini, Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) Sh. Apurva Chandra, Director-General Indian Council of Medical Research Dr. Rajiv Bahl, and representatives from various relevant departments.
In his opening address, Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood highlighted the need for a regulatory system that balances rigor to ensure safety and quality of medical products while fostering an environment conducive to research, development, and innovation.
Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member S&T, NITI Aayog, emphasized the importance of commercializing research and development in the medical device sector, applauding recent reforms introduced through the medical device policy.
Dr V.K. Paul, Member Health, NITI Aayog, expressed readiness for an efficient regulatory ecosystem for medical products in India, emphasizing the timeliness of the discussions.
Industry experts delivered presentations covering various critical themes, including the approval process of drugs, vaccine regulation, diagnostic and medical device ecosystems, regulatory aspects of animal health products, and the regulation of emerging therapies.
The meeting concluded with insights from Dr. Rajiv Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), who discussed major challenges faced by CDSCO and recent efforts to transform the regulatory ecosystem in India.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Sood reiterated the commitment to addressing the identified issues promptly and tangibly. The valuable input from the discussions will contribute to creating a robust and enabling regulatory ecosystem for medical products in India.