Healthcare Startup Conclave 2025 Concludes, Strengthens Odisha’s Vision as Health Innovation Hub

Bhubaneswar: The two-day Healthcare Startup Conclave 2025, organised by Startup Odisha under the MSME Department, Government of Odisha, concluded successfully at the O-Hub Incubation Centre, reinforcing the state’s growing focus on healthcare innovation. The conclave, themed “Inspiring Health Innovation for Odisha and Beyond,” brought together more than 150 healthcare entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, academicians, professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and students.

Participants expressed appreciation to Startup Odisha for hosting an inspiring and informative platform that enabled meaningful discussions, networking and collaboration among stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem.

On the first day, Dr Amit Kumar Dinda, former Chief Coordinator of the Center for Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CMIE), AIIMS Delhi, highlighted emerging opportunities in biotechnology and explained the significance of the BioE3 Policy. Venture capitalist Dr Sandeep Goyal, Associate Vice President, provided insights into the investment landscape, outlining the journey from prototype development to market readiness. Dr T. Pavan Kumar, Principal Scientist at InTEC, IMMT, conducted an in-depth session on intellectual property protection, guiding startups on patents, strategies and long-term innovation security.

The day concluded with an engaging panel discussion on “Building Scalable and Sustainable Health Innovations,” moderated by Dr Abhishek Gautam, Founder of Ambula, with panelists Dr Dinda, Dr Goyal and Dr Pavan Kumar sharing perspectives on growth, sustainability and impact.

The second day of the conclave focused on clinical collaboration and entrepreneurial experiences. Dr Kanhaiya Agrawal, Head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, delivered a special address stressing the importance of strong clinical partnerships in developing effective and scalable healthcare solutions.

A key highlight was the panel discussion titled “Early-Stage Health Startup Experiences: Lessons from the Field,” where founders Dr Padmaja Mohanty (Elmentoz Research), Dr Soubhagya Ranjan Kar (Prime Oral Care India LLP) and Dr Ashok Kumar Badamali (Inofinity R&D Pvt. Ltd.) shared candid insights on challenges related to funding, regulatory processes and scaling up innovations.

Throughout the conclave, the interactive “1 Problem 1 Solution Wall” encouraged collaborative problem-solving, while the Mini Product Display showcased innovations by healthcare startups, facilitating direct engagement between founders, investors and clinicians.

Concluding the event, Startup Odisha reaffirmed the conclave’s role in nurturing a supportive ecosystem for healthcare innovators and announced plans for follow-up sessions to provide continued, sector-specific support. Leveraging Odisha’s strengths in medical institutions and rich biodiversity, the Healthcare Startup Conclave 2025 marked a significant step towards positioning the state as a future hub for affordable, accessible and impactful healthcare solutions.