Fortis India Edition of IHH’s regional innovation platform aligns with Startup India vision to translate healthcare innovation into real-world clinical impact
Chandigarh, Feb 10 : Aligned with the Government of India’s Startup India and innovation-led growth agenda, IHH Healthcare (“IHH”), the world’s leading multinational healthcare provider, in partnership with its subsidiary Fortis Healthcare, today announced the launch of ‘IHH Catalyst Fortis India Edition’—a national healthcare innovation platform aimed at accelerating the adoption of patient-centric, technology-enabled solutions across India’s hospital ecosystem.
The initiative is part of IHH’s broader global innovation strategy and builds on the IHH Global Incubator launched in October last year. Now formalised as IHH Catalyst in partnership with Fortis Healthcare, the programme is designed to bridge a critical gap in India’s healthcare innovation journey—helping promising health-tech and med-tech startups move beyond pilots and proofs-of-concept to real-world clinical validation, hospital adoption, and scalable implementation.
Anchored within the Fortis Healthcare network and supported by Plug and Play as the programme partner, IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition will leverage global innovation expertise, structured startup engagement, and access to live hospital environments to accelerate execution. The initiative underscores IHH and Fortis’ long-term commitment to strengthening India’s position as a global hub for healthcare innovation and delivery excellence.
Commenting on the launch, Ashok Pandit, Group Chief Corporate Officer, IHH Healthcare, said,
“India stands at a pivotal moment in its healthcare transformation, driven by a strong national focus on innovation and a thriving startup ecosystem. Through IHH Catalyst, we aim to take healthcare innovation beyond experimentation into real hospital settings where solutions can be validated, adopted, and scaled. By anchoring this initiative in India with Fortis, our primary healthcare platform in the country, we seek to enable innovations that improve patient outcomes, empower clinicians, and shape the future of healthcare delivery in India and across the Asia-Pacific region.”
India is home to one of the world’s fastest-growing healthcare startup ecosystems, addressing challenges related to access, affordability, quality, and efficiency of care. However, large-scale adoption within hospital systems remains a significant barrier. IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition has been structured to directly address this challenge by providing startups with access to clinical expertise, hospital infrastructure, and clearly defined pathways for validation and scale.
As the India anchor partner, Fortis Healthcare will play a central role by enabling startups to collaborate closely with clinicians and hospital teams across its network, ensuring innovations are tested in real-world clinical settings and aligned with operational realities.
Dr. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, MD & CEO, Fortis Healthcare, said,
“India’s healthcare future will be shaped by how effectively innovation is translated into everyday clinical practice. IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition aligns strongly with the Government of India’s Startup India vision by creating a structured pathway for healthcare startups to engage directly with hospitals, clinicians, and patients. At Fortis, we see this as an opportunity to enable scalable, technology-led solutions that enhance quality of care, operational efficiency, and access, while positioning India as a global centre for healthcare innovation.”
The three-month hybrid programme will combine in-person immersion with structured virtual engagement. Selected startups will receive:
Mentorship from IHH and Fortis leadership, clinicians, and functional experts
Opportunities to pilot and validate solutions in live hospital environments
Support across regulatory readiness, data protection, cybersecurity, and interoperability
Clear pathways to long-term partnerships, scale-up opportunities, and potential investment
The inaugural India cohort will focus on priority healthcare domains aligned with national and institutional needs, including:
Patient Journey & Workflows
Chronic Disease Management
Multidisciplinary Care
Preventive & Predictive Care
Oncology
The programme will follow a multi-stage selection and evaluation process, with key milestones including:
10 February 2026: Programme launch and call for applications
25 March 2026: Announcement of selected cohort
2 July 2026: In-person Demo Day in Gurugram
Targeted at early-growth to enterprise-ready startups, the initiative will support solutions ready for pilots, proofs-of-concept, and deployment within hospital systems.
Beginning with India, IHH Catalyst is envisioned as a regional platform, with future editions planned across IHH markets—enabling Indian startups to scale internationally while contributing meaningfully to global healthcare innovation.