The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The 24th Prime Minister Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) meeting was convened by Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, on February 6, 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This significant gathering brought together PM-STIAC members, key government officials, and industry experts to deliberate on the health products ecosystem in India, particularly focusing on the current regulatory processes of medical products, identifying gaps and challenges, and exploring emerging opportunities.
The meeting featured participation from prominent officials including Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, and Secretaries of various departments. Key figures included Sh. Apurva Chandra (Secretary, Health & Family Welfare), Dr. Rajiv Bahl (Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research), and representatives from Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and the International Space Research Organisation.
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, in his opening address, emphasized the meeting’s objective to assess and enhance India’s regulatory system for medical products. He highlighted the need for a regulatory system that balances safety and quality with enabling research, development, and innovations, ultimately facilitating easy access to healthcare.
Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Member S&T, NITI Aayog, focused on the medical device sector, stressing the importance of commercializing R&D in this area following several reforms, including the release of the medical device policy. Similarly, Dr. V.K. Paul, Member Health, NITI Aayog, remarked on the timeliness of this discussion and India’s readiness for a more responsive and efficient regulatory ecosystem for medical products.
The meeting included presentations on various themes, such as the approval process of drugs, vaccine regulation, diagnostic and medical device ecosystem, regulation of animal health products, and emerging therapies. Each presentation addressed current scenarios, challenges, opportunities, and suggested improvements to strengthen the innovation ecosystem, streamline approval processes, and align India’s practices with global standards.
Dr. Rajiv Singh Raghuvanshi from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) presented on ‘Building a robust and enabling regulatory ecosystem in India,’ highlighting CDSCO’s efforts and challenges in transforming the regulatory landscape.
The session concluded with inputs from Secretaries, experts, and PM-STIAC members on collaborative efforts across various ministries and departments to address these critical issues. Prof. Sood’s concluding remarks underscored the commitment to address these discussions in a tangible and time-bound manner, aiming to create a robust and enabling regulatory ecosystem for medical products in India.
