The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) successfully hosted the second edition of its annual industry business meet, SYNCHN 2025, at its campus. The event convened a distinguished gathering of industry representatives, funders, and policymakers from diverse domains, all united by a shared vision for accelerating India's leadership in health innovation.

SYNCHN 2025 served as a critical platform for fostering collaborative ecosystems, emphasizing the urgent need for multidisciplinary, large-scale projects. Prof Ganesan Karthikeyan, Executive Director, THSTI,set the tone for SYNCHN 2025,focusing on actionable partnerships and strategic growth. He highlighted the need to focus on large projects that are multidisciplinary and said that collaborative ecosystems spanning academic institutions and industry areimportant and that THSTI is working towards providing this ecosystem.

A key segment, "Insights into Translational Science" session, showcased ongoing industry collaborations with THSTI. Dr. Prabuddha Kundu of Premas Biotech expressed commitment to India's vaccine leadership. Dr. Sivakumar Natarajan of Miltenyi Biotec discussed bridging the talent gap in Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) through specialized training. Dr. Khalid of Panacea Biotec highlighted multi-level collaboration on vaccine candidates for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Dr. Varun Sureja of Sundyota Numandis Pharmaceuticals noted impactful collaborations, including rapid technology transfer from THSTI and indigenous microbiome commercialization.

The "Expanding Capacities" session focused on THSTI's Medical Research Centre (MRC), the upcoming Translational Research Facility (TRF), designed to streamline medical product development from bench to biomanufacturing, state of the art facilities of the cluster and the proposed Biopark at the NCR Biotech Science Cluster. The session concluded with a call to co-create a model where India not only develops for India but also innovates for the world.

The event also featured a dynamic panel on "Challenges and Opportunities in Industry–Academia Collaboration," where industry leaders exchanged insights with a specific focus on product commercialization, pricing, and institutional R&D.

During his special address, Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Director General, Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), noted India's role as a global hub for affordable vaccines and generics. He urged industry to fund innovations for 'Viksit Bharat', emphasizing the need to develop sustainable solutions, unlock best-practice policies, and untangle agro-industrial complexities for positive and inclusive economic outcomes.

Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman of ANRF India said that quality collaborations are important for evolving biotech ecosystems during the Fireside Chat on "Investments in the Deep-Tech Innovation Ecosystem.”

The session on "National and Global Perspectives on the Significance of Deep Tech Ecosystems" discussed bridging research with commercial outcomes with emphasis on strengthening commercialization mechanisms in public institutions. 

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood,Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (PSA to GoI), addressed the gathering virtually, highlighting India's projected Bioeconomy growth by 2030, driven by policies like Bio-E3. Prof. Sood also called upon universities and companies to build a dynamic ecosystem capable of tackling pressing challenges, creating employment, and driving sustainable development.

SYNCHN 2025 also featured interactive sessions where students engaged with industry leaders, followed by a pitching session. Theme-based breakout sessions facilitated discussions between THSTI's technology developers and potential collaborators. The event reinforced THSTI's commitment to building a robust and collaborative ecosystem that propels India to the forefront of global health innovation.

About THSTI: The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) is an institute of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India. It is a part of the NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad. The institute is an integral part of the interdisciplinary environment of the cluster and is engaged in innovative translational research across various domains of health science.

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NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2144601)