In a significant move aligned with the Government of India’s Startup India and innovation-led growth agenda, IHH Healthcare, a leading multinational healthcare provider, has partnered with its subsidiary Fortis Healthcare to launch ‘IHH Catalyst | Fortis India Edition.’ This national healthcare innovation platform aims to accelerate the adoption of patient-centric, technology-enabled solutions across India’s hospital ecosystem.
From Global Incubator to India-Focused Catalyst
IHH first introduced the initiative in October last year as the IHH Global Incubator. Now, the organisation has formalised and localised the programme as IHH Catalyst in partnership with Fortis. Through this expansion, IHH seeks to address a persistent gap in India’s healthcare innovation landscape.
Specifically, the platform aims to move promising health-tech and med-tech startups beyond pilot projects and proof-of-concept stages. Instead, it will drive real-world clinical validation, hospital integration, and scalable implementation.
Structured Support with Global Expertise
As reported by Biospectrum India, Fortis Healthcare will anchor the programme in India, while Plug and Play will serve as the programme partner. Together, they will combine global innovation expertise with structured startup engagement to accelerate execution.
Importantly, the platform will provide startups with direct access to clinical expertise, hospital infrastructure, and clearly defined pathways for validation and scale. As a result, innovators can test solutions in real hospital environments and align them with clinical workflows.
Focus on Execution-Ready Startups
The programme will prioritise execution-ready startups that demonstrate strong relevance to hospital operations, patient outcomes, and efficiency improvements. By doing so, IHH Catalyst ensures that innovation translates into measurable healthcare impact rather than remaining conceptual.
Selected startups will receive mentorship from IHH and Fortis leadership, clinicians, and functional experts. In addition, they will gain opportunities to pilot solutions within live hospital settings. The programme will also offer support in regulatory readiness, data protection, cybersecurity, and interoperability. Furthermore, it will provide clear pathways toward long-term partnerships, scale-up opportunities, and potential investment.
Key Milestones for the Inaugural Cohort
The programme will follow a structured, multi-stage selection and evaluation process. Key milestones include:
10 February 2026: Official launch and call for applications
25 March 2026: Announcement of selected cohort
2 July 2026: In-person Demo Day in Gurugram
Through this initiative, IHH and Fortis aim to strengthen India’s healthcare innovation ecosystem while accelerating the deployment of scalable, patient-focused solutions nationwide.