In a new initiative to accelerate health innovation in India, IITI Drishti CPS Foundation, one of India’s Technology Translation Research Parks for Digital Healthcare under the NM-ICPS Mission of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, at IIT Indore, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DHN to co-launch the DHN HealthTech Innovation Challenge 2025.
The challenge is designed to identify promising HealthTech startups and support them with mentorship, incubation, pilot, and market access opportunities. It will connect research, startups, and industry, aiming to address India’s healthcare demands and the need for affordable, technology-driven care. The initiative combines incubation support, funding, and government-backed research to enable startups to progress from concept to real-world application.
IITI Drishti CPS Foundation will serve as the official Incubation and Accelerator Partner, offering mentorship and strategic guidance. W Health Ventures has joined as the VC Partner, while CDAC and iCreate are on board as Ecosystem Partners. Sparsh Hospital & Critical Care, Odisha, is the Hospital Pilot Partner. The initiative is powered by AWS, which will also provide $5000 worth of cloud credits to select startups.
Applications are open until 29 September 2025. Mid-to-late-stage HealthTech startups are eligible to apply. A Demo Day has been scheduled for 15 November 2025.
The jury for the challenge includes Uma Nambiar, CEO, IISC Medical School Foundation and Chairperson, DHI; Dr Feby Abraham, EVP and Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Memorial Hermann Health System, Houston; and Vishnu Saxena, Founder & CEO, DHN & ScaleHealthTech.
Speaking about the initiative, Vishnu Saxena, Founder & CEO of DHN and ScaleHealthTech, said, “At DHN, we launched India’s most comprehensive HealthTech Innovation Challenge last year to identify and nurture best-of-breed digital health startups from every corner of the country that have the potential to solve India’s most pressing healthcare challenges. This year, we are incredibly excited to partner with IITI DRISHTI CPS Foundation to take that mission even further. With W Health Ventures, CDAC, iCreate, and AWS strengthening the ecosystem, we are providing a battery-included platform essential to build and scale real-world solutions with national impact.”
Aditya Vyas, CEO, IITI Drishti CPS Foundation, added, “DHN Innovation Challenge aligns with the national goal of accessible and affordable healthcare, which is possible only with the help of Digital Technologies. Bharat is leapfrogging through the Digital India Mission and enabling Digital Public Goods infrastructure; it is time to bring Digital Healthcare to the forefront to help every citizen of this country receive quality medical care close to his or her place. We are happy to partner with DHN for this initiative to take our Nation towards a Viksit Bharat.”
The collaboration provides a platform for HealthTech startups in India to showcase, validate, and scale their solutions, strengthening the country’s digital health ecosystem by fostering new ideas, accelerating product-market fit, and improving access to hospitals, investors, and policymakers.