Pfizer Awards Rs 60 Lakh Each to 14 Healthtech Startups Under INDovation 2025
Pfizer
New Delhi: Pfizer has announced the winners of the INDovation Program 2025, selecting 14 healthtech startups that will each receive grants of Rs 60 lakh along with 18 months of structured incubation and acceleration support.
The selected startups are working across priority healthcare areas including immunization, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), brain health, oncology, and maternal and child health.
The INDovation Program aims to fast-track startups from lab readiness to regulatory validation and real-world deployment. The initiative is backed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), NITI Aayog, and MSINS. It is implemented by Social Alpha and supported by the Foundation of Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Applications were invited through multiple platforms, including Startup India.
The program operates through two parallel tracks:
Incubation Track: Designed for startups with validation-ready products requiring support for clinical validation, regulatory approvals, and go-to-market strategies. Eight startups were selected under this track.
Deployment Track: Focused on startups with regulator-approved products ready for deployment at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to generate real-world clinical evidence and assess scalable public health impact. Six advanced startups were selected under this track.
The 14 winners were chosen based on criteria such as potential public health impact, technological innovation, differentiation, scalability, and a clearly defined development roadmap. In addition to financial grants, winners will receive structured incubation support led by Social Alpha and FITT at IIT Delhi.
The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech Sector (PRIP) Scheme and the broader Make in India mission. Building on previous editions, including one conducted in partnership with NIPER-Ahmedabad, the INDovation Program has supported more than 40 Indian healthtech startups focused on screening and diagnostic innovations.
The award ceremony was attended by representatives from DPIIT, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Pfizer, Social Alpha, FITT, and participating startups. The event underscored the importance of industry-government-startup collaboration in strengthening India’s healthcare innovation ecosystem.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, said, “Truly delighted to be a part of this engagement between DPIIT’s Startup India and Pfizer with the intention to nurture talent and focus on the real needs of Bharat, going down to the villages, the less privileged and marginalized sections of society, towards the ultimate goal of ‘health for all’. I am glad that so many wings of the Government have come together with the private sector working towards a shared goal.”
He added that affordable and scalable medical products would help reach the remotest parts of India’s 1.4 billion population.
Meenakshi Nevatia, Managing Director, Pfizer Ltd, said, “Pfizer congratulates all winners of the INDovation Program; we are excited to see how their innovations scale up from here. India’s vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat and a global leader in pharmaceuticals and healthtech by 2047 requires investments in promising technologies and innovation. Pfizer is committed to empowering impactful healthcare solutions and is honoured to have the support and trust of our Government partners.”
Pfizer stated that it remains focused on supporting innovative healthcare solutions and expanding access to quality medicines and vaccines globally.
