CFAs: i-MEC Medical Technology Innovation Call (India)

Deadline: 25-Jun-2026

The i-MEC Call is accepting grant applications to support healthcare innovation through cyber-physical systems and medical electronics. The programme provides funding support of up to INR 25 lakhs for selected innovations addressing clinically validated healthcare challenges.

Implemented by IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation in collaboration with TECHIN, the initiative supports startups, innovators, researchers, doctors, clinicians and faculty members. Selected participants receive funding, prototyping support, mentoring, clinical inputs, testing and validation assistance, ecosystem connections and market access support.

Programme Overview

The i-MEC Call supports innovative healthcare solutions using Cyber-Physical Systems and Medical Electronics.

The programme is a national-level initiative focused on solving critical healthcare challenges through technology development, clinical validation and product innovation.

It aims to help transform real healthcare problems into deployable medical technology solutions.

Funding Available

The programme provides funding support of up to INR 25 lakhs for selected innovations.

This funding is intended to support the development, prototyping, testing and validation of healthcare solutions aligned with the programme’s focus areas.

Implementing Organisations

The i-MEC programme is implemented by:

• IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation
• Technology Innovation Foundation of IIT Palakkad, also known as TECHIN

The programme also promotes collaboration with healthcare and innovation ecosystem partners to strengthen clinical relevance and implementation potential.

Main Objective

The main objective of the i-MEC Call is to support innovation in healthcare through cyber-physical systems and medical electronics.

The programme aims to:

• Address critical healthcare challenges
• Translate clinical problem statements into technology solutions
• Support medical electronics innovation
• Encourage collaboration between healthcare and engineering experts
• Improve clinical care, diagnostics and monitoring
• Strengthen healthcare infrastructure resilience and security
• Support the development and deployment of validated healthcare technologies

Key Focus Areas

The programme supports healthcare technology innovations across several priority areas.

Key focus areas include:

• Non-invasive health monitoring
• Continuous health monitoring
• Surgical precision
• Surgical automation
• Clinical assessment
• ICU management
• Precision diagnostics
• Point-of-care solutions
• Medical electronics innovation
• Cyber-physical systems in healthcare
• Resilience in medical infrastructure
• Security in medical infrastructure

What Are Cyber-Physical Systems in Healthcare?

Cyber-Physical Systems, or CPS, combine physical devices, sensors, software, data and intelligent control systems.

In healthcare, CPS can support real-time monitoring, diagnosis, automation and decision-making.

Examples may include:

• Smart medical devices
• Connected health monitoring systems
• Automated surgical assistance systems
• ICU monitoring platforms
• Sensor-based diagnostic tools
• Intelligent patient care systems
• Secure medical infrastructure technologies

CPS can help make healthcare more accurate, responsive, efficient and patient-centred.

What Is Medical Electronics Innovation?

Medical electronics innovation refers to the development of electronic devices, systems and technologies used in healthcare.

This may include devices for:

• Diagnosis
• Monitoring
• Treatment support
• Surgery
• Patient assessment
• Emergency care
• Intensive care
• Point-of-care testing
• Remote health support

Medical electronics can improve healthcare delivery by making systems more accessible, precise and efficient.

Clinically Validated Problem Statements

The i-MEC programme is designed around clinically validated healthcare challenges.

These problem statements were identified through consultations with:

• Doctors
• Clinicians
• Hospitals
• Healthcare professionals
• Medical experts

This ensures that the programme supports solutions responding to real unmet needs in healthcare delivery and medical systems.

Why Clinical Validation Matters

Clinical validation helps ensure that innovation is grounded in real healthcare needs.

A clinically validated problem is one that has been reviewed or identified by healthcare professionals as important, practical and relevant.

This helps innovators avoid developing solutions that are technically impressive but not useful in real clinical settings.

The i-MEC Call encourages solutions that can move from idea and prototype toward real-world healthcare use.

Who Can Apply?

The programme encourages applications from a wide range of healthcare and innovation stakeholders.

Eligible or suitable applicants include:

• Startups
• Innovators
• Researchers
• Doctors
• Clinicians
• Faculty members
• Medical technology developers
• Engineering teams
• Healthcare innovation teams

Applicants should propose solutions that address the identified healthcare focus areas.

Suitable Solutions

Suitable solutions should address unmet healthcare needs through cyber-physical systems or medical electronics.

Strong solutions may include:

• Patient monitoring technologies
• Non-invasive diagnostic devices
• Smart ICU support systems
• Surgical automation tools
• Point-of-care testing platforms
• Medical device innovations
• Secure healthcare infrastructure systems
• Connected medical electronics
• Clinical workflow improvement tools
• Resilient healthcare technology systems

Support Available to Selected Participants

Selected participants receive comprehensive support to help develop and deploy their innovations.

Support may include:

• Funding assistance
• Prototyping support
• Engineering guidance
• Product development support
• Mentoring
• Testing support
• Validation support
• Clinical inputs
• Ecosystem connections
• Market access support

This combination of financial and non-financial support helps innovators move from concept or prototype toward practical healthcare deployment.

Prototyping and Product Development Support

The programme supports participants in developing functional prototypes and improving product design.

This may include guidance on:

• Device architecture
• System design
• Hardware development
• Software integration
• User interface design
• Medical electronics engineering
• Product refinement
• Technical feasibility
• Testing readiness

Prototyping support is important because healthcare technologies must be reliable, usable and safe in real clinical environments.

Testing and Validation Support

Testing and validation are essential for healthcare innovation.

Selected participants may receive support to test whether their solutions perform as expected.

Validation support may help assess:

• Technical performance
• Clinical relevance
• Usability
• Reliability
• Accuracy
• Safety considerations
• Deployment feasibility
• Market readiness

This strengthens the pathway from innovation to real healthcare use.

Clinical Inputs and Ecosystem Connections

The i-MEC programme connects innovators with healthcare experts and ecosystem partners.

Clinical inputs help innovators understand practical medical workflows, patient needs and system constraints.

Ecosystem connections may support:

• Clinical feedback
• Hospital engagement
• Mentorship
• Industry connections
• Investor readiness
• Market access
• Product adoption pathways
• Collaboration opportunities

Ecosystem Partners

The programme promotes collaboration with key ecosystem partners.

These include:

• Indian Medical Association
• Kerala Medical Technology Consortium
• NSRCEL-IIM Bangalore

These partnerships can strengthen clinical validation, business development, mentoring and innovation outcomes.

Why This Programme Matters

Healthcare systems need practical, reliable and scalable technologies to improve care delivery.

Many medical challenges require close collaboration between clinicians, engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs.

The i-MEC Call matters because it supports innovations that are based on real clinical needs and helps move them toward deployment.

By combining funding, technical support, clinical feedback and market access, the programme can help accelerate healthcare technology development in India.

How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Proposal

Applicants should prepare a clear, clinically relevant and technically feasible proposal.

Step 1: Identify the Healthcare Challenge

Applicants should begin by selecting a healthcare problem aligned with the i-MEC focus areas.

The problem should be important, practical and relevant to real healthcare delivery.

Step 2: Match the Solution to Programme Focus Areas

The proposed solution should fit within one or more focus areas, such as non-invasive monitoring, surgical automation, ICU management, diagnostics or medical infrastructure security.

Step 3: Explain the Clinical Need

Applicants should clearly explain why the problem matters to doctors, patients, hospitals or healthcare systems.

A strong proposal should show that the solution addresses an unmet clinical need.

Step 4: Describe the Technology

The application should clearly describe the proposed cyber-physical system or medical electronics solution.

Applicants should explain:

• What the solution does
• How it works
• Who will use it
• Where it will be used
• What makes it innovative
• How it improves current practice

Step 5: Show Feasibility

Applicants should explain the technical feasibility of the innovation.

This may include details on existing prototypes, prior testing, engineering approach, system design or product development plan.

Step 6: Include Clinical Validation Plans

The proposal should describe how the solution will be tested or validated with clinical inputs.

Applicants should explain how doctors, clinicians or healthcare institutions may be involved.

Step 7: Plan for Product Development

A strong proposal should include a clear development roadmap.

This may include:

• Prototype development
• Testing milestones
• Validation steps
• Product refinement
• Regulatory considerations
• Deployment planning
• Market access pathway

Step 8: Explain Expected Impact

Applicants should explain how the innovation can improve healthcare outcomes.

Expected impact may include better diagnosis, improved monitoring, safer surgery, stronger ICU management, reduced clinical workload, increased access to care or improved infrastructure resilience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:

• Proposing a solution without a clear healthcare problem
• Ignoring clinical relevance
• Failing to explain how doctors or patients will benefit
• Submitting a technology idea without feasibility evidence
• Not aligning with the programme focus areas
• Providing vague product development plans
• Ignoring testing and validation requirements
• Overlooking usability in real healthcare settings
• Treating market access as an afterthought
• Failing to explain innovation value
• Not showing how the solution can be deployed

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should:

• Address a clinically validated healthcare problem
• Clearly fit within the i-MEC focus areas
• Explain the technology in simple and practical terms
• Show technical feasibility
• Include a clear prototype or development plan
• Demonstrate clinical relevance
• Include testing and validation pathways
• Explain expected healthcare impact
• Show potential for deployment and adoption
• Use clinical, technical and market evidence where available

FAQ

1. What is the i-MEC Call?

The i-MEC Call is a grant opportunity supporting healthcare innovation through cyber-physical systems and medical electronics.

2. How much funding is available?

Selected innovations may receive funding support of up to INR 25 lakhs.

3. Who implements the programme?

The programme is implemented by IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation in collaboration with the Technology Innovation Foundation of IIT Palakkad, known as TECHIN.

4. Who can apply?

Startups, innovators, researchers, doctors, clinicians and faculty members are encouraged to apply.

5. What healthcare focus areas are supported?

The programme supports non-invasive and continuous health monitoring, surgical precision and automation, clinical assessment, ICU management, precision diagnostics, point-of-care solutions, medical electronics innovation and medical infrastructure resilience and security.

6. What support is available besides funding?

Selected participants may receive prototyping support, engineering guidance, product development assistance, mentoring, testing and validation support, clinical inputs, ecosystem connections and market access support.

7. Why does the programme focus on clinically validated problem statements?

Clinically validated problem statements ensure that supported innovations address real healthcare needs identified by doctors, clinicians, hospitals and healthcare professionals.

Conclusion

The i-MEC Call provides an important opportunity for healthcare innovators to develop solutions using cyber-physical systems and medical electronics.

With funding support of up to INR 25 lakhs, the programme helps selected participants move from clinically validated problems to practical technology solutions.

Applicants should present clear, feasible and clinically relevant innovations that address real healthcare challenges and have strong potential for testing, validation and deployment.

For more information, visit TECHIN.