Jammu, Feb 12: The CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) on Tuesday hosted a two-day Industry–Academia Meet (IAM-2026) in Jammu, bringing together scientists, pharmaceutical industry leaders and regulators to accelerate phytopharmaceutical research and strengthen lab-to-market linkages.
Aligned with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, the meet aims to build partnerships that translate traditional knowledge and natural product research into evidence-based, commercially viable drugs.
The inaugural session featured the release of the Institute Compendium and signing of MoUs with industry partners.
Padma Shri Prof. V.K. Singh, Institute Chair Professor at IIT Kanpur and Mentor of CSIR-IIIM, attended as Chief Guest, while Dr. C.K. Katiyar, former CEO of Emami, was Guest of Honour. Also present were CSIR-IIIM Director Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Organising Secretary Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed, CDSCO representatives, industry delegates and academicians.
In his address, Prof. Singh stressed that institutions must demonstrate tangible value to attract industry collaboration. “Industry partnerships are driven by practical and economic relevance,” he said, citing global breakthroughs such as artemisinin to underline the importance of natural products in drug discovery.
Dr. Katiyar described CSIR-IIIM as a heritage institution and emphasised the need to scientifically integrate traditional knowledge with chemistry and pharmacology. He highlighted challenges in pharmacokinetics, clinical validation and regulatory clarity, while flagging India’s dependence on imported active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Director CSIR-IIIM Dr. Zabeer Ahmed said the meet seeks to establish a sustained interface between researchers, industry and regulators. He noted that CSIR’s Phytopharmaceutical Mission is currently in Phase III, with ten laboratories engaged in extraction, characterisation and lead discovery. “Three leads have completed preclinical studies and are ready for clinical translation,” he said, identifying GMP manufacturing and clinical infrastructure as key bottlenecks.
Dr. Ahmed also underscored the research potential of cannabis for multiple disease areas and called for policy dialogue to enable regulated clinical research.
Organising Secretary Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed said the scientific ecosystem is increasingly focused on patents, validation and societal impact rather than publication-driven outcomes. “IAM-2026 aims to bridge the translational gap through co-development with industry,” he said.
The technical sessions examined challenges and opportunities in phytopharmaceuticals. Experts discussed sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants, validation of authentic plant material, regulatory pathways and market access. Speakers included Prof. Ravinder Raina, Dr. Amit Chawla of CSIR-IHBT, Dr. Lal Hingorani of Pharmanza Herbal Pvt. Ltd., and Dr. Ajay Kumar of CSIR-IIIM.
An afternoon panel discussion featuring industry leaders, CDSCO officials and academic experts focused on clinical validation, claims substantiation, regulatory compliance and technology transfer mechanisms to strengthen the phytopharmaceutical and Ayurvedic sectors.
Officials said the meet marks a significant step toward fostering industry-academia partnerships to accelerate innovation and commercialisation in India’s phytopharmaceutical landscape.
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