NRDC and NCISM Signed MoU to Promote Innovation, Intellectual Property - 23rd July 2026 - Ministry of Science and Technology - Gazette Notification PDF
Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology on 23rd July 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
On July 23, 2026, the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote innovation and intellectual property (IP) management. The partnership aims to bridge the gap between research and commercialization within the Indian System of Medicine, specifically for Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Sowa-Rigpa. Key action items include providing IP facilitation, technology transfer, and mentoring to NCISM-regulated institutions and practitioners.
Key Points / Main Content
Core Objectives of the Partnership
Establish a strategic framework to identify, protect, and commercialize innovative technologies in the Indian System of Medicine.
Bridge the gap between academic research and market-ready products to address healthcare needs.
Create an enabling ecosystem for innovation-driven growth across traditional medical disciplines.
NRDC’s Technical Contributions
Provide expertise in IP protection, patent and trademark facilitation, and technology assessment.
Manage technology valuation, licensing, and transfer processes.
Offer mentoring to innovators, incubation support, and industry linkages.
Assist institutions in developing effective IP management practices and commercialization strategies.
NCISM’s Facilitation Role
Coordinate engagements between NRDC and regulated institutions, including Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (RIED) Cells.
Connect NRDC with registered medical practitioners across the country.
Oversee institution-specific technical, commercial, and financial engagements directly between NRDC and innovators.
Planned Activities and Initiatives
Implementation of capacity-building programs, innovation awareness initiatives, ideathons, and hackathons.
Formulation of institutional IP policies and technology showcases.
Promotion of industry-sponsored research and dissemination of research success stories.
Translation of clinical research into validated healthcare products and services.
Impact Analysis
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC)Impact
NRDC will act as the primary technical partner, expanding its influence in the traditional medicine sector by managing IP and technology transfers.
Action Required
Must extend specialized expertise in patent filing, valuation, and mentoring to NCISM-regulated entities and innovators.
National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and Regulated InstitutionsImpact
Institutions will gain a structured mechanism for transforming research into commercially deployable technologies, enhancing their societal and economic impact.
Action Required
Must facilitate direct engagement between NRDC and their respective RIED Cells and researchers to initiate technical and financial collaborations.
Researchers and Medical Practitioners (ISM)Impact
Innovators will receive professional support to develop evidence-based technologies and protect their intellectual property.
Action Required
Need to engage with the framework to translate academic and clinical research into validated products and services.
Key Entities Referenced
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC): An organization under the Ministry of Science & Technology providing expertise in intellectual property protection, technology transfer, and commercialization of research.
National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM): A statutory regulator under the Ministry of Ayush that oversees medical education and practice in traditional Indian medicine systems.
Ministry of Ayush: The central ministry responsible for the development, education, and research of Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Sowa-Rigpa.
Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (RIED) Cells: Specialized units within NCISM-regulated institutions designed to facilitate innovation, IP management, and entrepreneurship engagement.
Ministry of Science & Technology
NRDC and NCISM Signed MoU to Promote
Innovation, Intellectual Property Management
and Commercialization in the Indian System of
Medicine
प्रव तथ: 23 JUL 2026 9:21PM by PIB Delhi
The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) and the National Commission for Indian
System of Medicine (NCISM), a statutory body under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership for promoting
innovation, intellectual property (IP) management, technology transfer and commercialization of research
outcomes in the Indian System of Medicine.
The Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between Cmde. Amit Rastogi (Retd.), Chairman &
Managing Director, NRDC, and Dr. Maneesha Kothekar, Chairperson, NCISM, in the presence of Dr.
Allamprabhu Gudda, President, Board of Ayurveda (BOA); Prof. Asim Ali Khan, President, Board of
Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa (BUSSR); Dr. Atul Babu Varshney, Member, Board of Ayurveda (BOA);
and senior officials of NRDC and NCISM.
The MoU provides a comprehensive framework for collaboration to identify, protect, develop and
commercialize innovative technologies and intellectual property generated by NCISM-regulated
institutions and registered practitioners of the Indian Systems of Medicine. The partnership seeks to bridge
the gap between research and commercialization by creating an enabling ecosystem for innovation-driven
growth in Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa.
Under the collaboration, NRDC will extend its expertise in intellectual property protection, patent and
trademark facilitation, technology assessment, valuation, licensing, technology transfer, industry linkage
and commercialization of technologies. The Corporation will also provide mentoring to innovators,
facilitate incubation support, promote industry-sponsored research, and assist institutions in developing
effective intellectual property management practices and commercialization strategies.
NCISM will facilitate engagement between NRDC and its regulated institutions, Research, Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Development (RIED) Cells, and registered medical practitioners across the country.
Institution-specific technical, commercial and financial engagements arising from the collaboration will be
undertaken directly between NRDC and the respective institutions or innovators.
The collaboration will support a broad spectrum of activities, including identification and protection of
intellectual property, patent and trademark filing, innovation mentoring, entrepreneurship development,
institutional IP policy formulation, capacity-building programmes, innovation awareness initiatives,
ideathons, hackathons, technology showcases, industry interactions, and the dissemination of research and
innovation success stories. The partnership will also encourage the translation of academic and clinical
research into validated products, technologies and services capable of addressing healthcare needs while
contributing to the growth of the innovation ecosystem in the Indian System of Medicine.Speaking on the occasion, Cmde. Amit Rastogi (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, NRDC, said
that the collaboration would create a robust mechanism for supporting innovators and researchers working
in the Indian System of Medicine. He noted that NRDC's expertise in intellectual property management
and technology commercialization would help transform promising research into commercially
deployable technologies, thereby enhancing societal impact and contributing to the vision of an
innovation-driven and self-reliant India.
Dr. Maneesha Kothekar, Chairperson, NCISM, emphasized that the partnership marks an important
step towards strengthening the research and innovation ecosystem across NCISM-regulated institutions.
She stated that by integrating scientific research, innovation management and commercialization support,
the collaboration would encourage researchers, faculty members and practitioners to develop evidence-
based technologies and healthcare solutions rooted in India's rich traditional medical knowledge.
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