New Delhi: The National Medical Commission and the Indian Council of Medical Research will soon introduce PhD programs to strengthen India's medical research ecosystem and promote homegrown innovations in medical devices and medicines, NMC chairman Dr Abhijat Sheth announced Sunday at Bhaikaka University's convocation in Karamsad, Anand.

The initiative comes as India pushes to reduce its reliance on imported medical technology and expand its research capacity. Dr Sheth told graduating students that the program aims to drive innovation-led healthcare solutions while addressing the country's growing burden of non-communicable diseases.

Expanding Medical Education Capacity

According to Dr Sheth, 18,000 additional medical seats have been approved across the country, with parallel efforts underway to expand faculty capacity and ensure equitable, high-quality medical education. The expansion aligns with broader government efforts to add 75,000 new medical seats over five years. In October 2025, the NMC approved 10,650 new MBBS seats and 41 new medical colleges, bringing India's total to 137,600 MBBS seats.

The NMC chairman emphasised that non-communicable diseases are rising sharply in India, making self-care, preventive healthcare and the ATCOM module on professionalism crucial components of medical training reforms. Drawing from the COVID-19 experience, he stressed the need to instil a culture of preparedness among medical professionals.

India's Growing Research Ecosystem

The announcement follows recent statements by Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel, who said India has rapidly risen as a major force in global health research. Speaking at the 2nd DHR-ICMR Health Research Excellence Summit in November 2025, Patel highlighted that initiatives such as MedTech Mitra and innovations like Rotavac and COVID-19 vaccines demonstrate India's growing prominence in the global health research landscape.

"India is becoming increasingly self-reliant in the MedTech and biomedical innovation sectors. The country is not only innovating but also demonstrating the capacity to deliver solutions at scale," Patel said. NITI Aayog Member Dr VK Paul noted that India's healthy life expectancy currently stands at 60 years, with the Viksit Bharat vision for ICMR aiming to raise it above 75 years through innovative interventions.