15th KMTC Stakeholders’ Connect Meet – Advancing Kerala’s Healthcare–MedTech Convergence

The 15th KMTC Stakeholders’ Connect Meet (SCM), organised in association with the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Government of Kerala, was successfully held on 20 January 2026 at the DME Conference Hall, Thiruvananthapuram.

Anchored on the theme “Bridging the Gap Between Healthcare Delivery and MedTech Innovation,” the meet brought together senior government leadership, clinicians, medical colleges, public healthcare institutions, industry representatives, startups, incubators, research organisations, and innovation enablers. The objective was to move beyond dialogue and foster institutionalised, action-oriented collaboration to strengthen Kerala’s MedTech and healthcare innovation ecosystem.

Strategic Direction and Key Messages
The Keynote Address by Dr. Rajan N. Khobragade, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Health & Family Welfare), Government of Kerala, set a strong strategic direction, emphasising:

• Patient-outcome-led innovation
• Commitment-driven institutional rollout of innovation programs
• Need for transparent IPR and revenue-sharing frameworks
• Embedding health-tech innovation within medical education and public healthcare systems

Sessions throughout the day reinforced the urgency of positioning medical colleges and public hospitals as active drivers of innovation, rather than passive end-users of technology.

Key Discussion Themes

• Strengthening industry–hospital collaboration
• Leveraging IEDCs and medical colleges as innovation hubs
• Translating bedside clinical needs into scalable MedTech solutions
• Moving decisively from roadmap to implementation

The meet marked a shift from exploratory dialogue to execution-focused consensus, with stakeholders agreeing on the need for structured institutional mechanisms, predictable collaboration frameworks, and state-level coordination to accelerate MedTech innovation in Kerala.

Towards a Clinician-Led Innovation Ecosystem
The 15th KMTC SCM represents a decisive step towards positioning Kerala’s public healthcare system as an active driver of MedTech innovation, grounded in clinical realities and supported by robust institutional and policy frameworks.

Post-Event Report
KMTC has prepared a comprehensive Post-Event Report documenting:

• Proceedings and session summaries
• Key discussions and insights
• Identified gaps and priority action areas
• Institutional and state-level way forward
• Participant feedback and outcomes

Click below to access the full report:
 [Download Post-Event Report – 15th KMTC SCM]