A Tech Conclave on “AI for Health & Assistive Technologies” was held at IIT BHU, Varanasi, jointly organised by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), a premier S&T organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), IIT BHU. Government representatives, academic experts, healthcare professionals and startups gathered at the event to examine how artificial intelligence can strengthen healthcare, widen accessibility and support inclusion and citizen well-being through practical, scalable solutions.
The inaugural session began with the traditional lighting of the lamp, after which welcome remarks were delivered by Prof. Manoj Kumar Meshram, Faculty In-Charge, CIIE, IIT BHU. The session featured a keynote address by Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, Government of India, followed by special addresses from Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI, and Prof. Amit Patra, Director, IIT BHU. Special addresses were also delivered by Shri Sumit Mahajan, CEO, Uttar Pradesh Startup Mission, IT & Electronics Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Dr. Mallika Tiwari, Professor, Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU.
Delivering the keynote address, Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, Government of India, said, “Artificial Intelligence can play an important role in making healthcare more accessible, strengthening clinical decision-making and improving service delivery, particularly for communities with limited access to healthcare services. He stressed the need to bring AI education into every discipline and to draw on the convergence of technology, medical sciences and research to build practical solutions. Pointing to applications such as disease screening, medical diagnostics, remote ICU monitoring and AI-assisted surgical planning, he said AI could transform healthcare accessibility, affordability and quality. He called for closer collaboration among IIT (BHU), STPI, industry and startups to create scalable healthcare and assistive technology solutions. He also outlined the support on offer through the IndiaAI Mission and other MeitY initiatives, and stressed STPI's role in linking startups with investors, venture capital networks and market opportunities to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, STPI, looked back at how India's technology ecosystem has changed over the last three decades. Noting STPI's key role in supporting the growth of India's IT/ITeS industry since 1991, he said there is now an opportunity to repeat that success in Artificial Intelligence through indigenous innovation and entrepreneurship. He recalled that students once aimed mainly for campus placements, and observed that today's startup ecosystem allows young innovators to become job creators instead. Referring to STPI's industry linkages and its 27 Centres of Entrepreneurship, he stressed the value of translational research, intellectual property creation and market access. He added that startup ecosystems must be strengthened beyond established technology hubs, especially in emerging regions, through closer cooperation among academic institutions such as IIT (BHU), industry and government.
Prof. Amit Patra, Director, IIT BHU, speaking at the STPI Tech Conclave on AI for Health & Assistive Technologies, outlined how IIT (BHU) has been strengthening its startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem by setting up the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE). He stressed the need for a structured institutional framework that nurtures entrepreneurial thinking among students, faculty and aspiring innovators, so they can turn innovative ideas into viable startups. Highlighting the need to link aspiring entrepreneurs with multiple funding sources and to build a sustainable pipeline of startups, he reaffirmed IIT (BHU)'s commitment to promoting innovation and technology-driven entrepreneurship.
Two panel discussions were also held at the conclave— “Empowering Citizens Through AI: Health, Inclusion & Well-being” and “From Innovation to Impact: Translating AI Research into Scalable Healthcare & Assistive Solutions”, where experts from government, academia, healthcare and startups discussed AI’s potential and how it can be turned into practical, scalable solutions. Vote of Thanks was given by Shri Praveen Kumar Dwivedi, Additional Director and OIC, STPI Lucknow
The first panel discussion, “Empowering Citizens Through AI: Health, Inclusion & Well-being,” featured Prof. Manoj Kumar Meshram, Coordinator, CIIE-IIT BHU; Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT BHU; Prof. Avanish Singh Parmar, Professor, Department of Physics, IIT (BHU); Dr. Shiru Sharma, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, IIT BHU; Dr. Ruchi Chawla, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, IIT BHU; Shri Shahbaz Ahmad, Founder, Arkision AI Pvt. Ltd.; and Shri Amit Kumar Verma, Additional Director, STPI. The panel looked at how AI can help deliver more accessible and inclusive healthcare and improve the well-being of citizens. With participants from several disciplines, the discussion showed why technological expertise, healthcare research and entrepreneurial thinking need to come together to find solutions that meet people’s needs.
The second panel discussion, “From Innovation to Impact: Translating AI Research into Scalable Healthcare & Assistive Solutions,” featured Shri Rajeshwar Singh Jenwar, Director, MeitY; Dr. Akash Mishra, Assistant Professor, Centre of Biostatistics, IMS-BHU; Dr. Durgesh Narayan Singh, Scientific Officer, BioNest BHU; Ms. Tripti Verma, Founder, LeminAi; and Shri Shyam Kumar, COO, STPI MedTech Centre of Entrepreneurship at SGPGIMS, Lucknow. This session focused on the path from research and innovation to practical, scalable solutions in healthcare and assistive technology. Bringing together institutional, scientific and startup viewpoints, the session highlighted how collaboration helps promising ideas progress towards real-world use.
The conclave underlined that government, academia, healthcare institutions and startups must work together to harness AI for accessible healthcare, assistive technologies and inclusive well-being. Through sustained engagement, research translation and support for entrepreneurship, STPI and CIIE, IIT BHU, seek to contribute to an innovation ecosystem that builds practical, responsible and scalable technology solutions for society's needs.
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), a premier S&T organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), works to promote the IT/ITES industry, innovation, research and development, startups, and product and intellectual property creation in emerging technology domains. These domains cover the Internet of Things, blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, robotics, augmented and virtual reality, animation and visual effects, and data science and analytics. STPI also backs innovation in areas such as gaming, fintech, agritech, medtech, autonomous and connected mobility, ESDM, cybersecurity, Industry 4.0 and drones.