North India Positioned as Emerging Biopharma & Digital Health Hub : Insights from CII Healthcare Conclave
Chandigarh, 11 February 2026 : The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Northern Region hosted the 2nd Edition of the Healthcare Excellence Conclave, convening key voices from policy, industry, hospitals, investment, and research to deliberate on advancing healthcare competitiveness in North India.
Delivering Keynote Address, Dr Mona Duggal, Director, ICMR – National Institute for Research in Digital Health and Data Science (NIRDHDS), highlighted the power of digital transformation, stating, “Data has enormous capacity to drive change but meaningful scale depends on policy leadership to move these initiatives forward.”
Speaking on sectoral momentum, Dr Dharminder Nagar, Conclave Chairman, CII NR Committee on Healthcare, remarked, “The Budget has placed strong emphasis on the healthcare sector which implies that healthcare is now in our mindset. When health becomes a shared priority, real transformation begins.”
Calling for stronger collaboration, Dr (Prof) Rahatdeep Singh Brar, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, stated, “Public and private sectors must collaborate, complement strengths and fill the gaps together. Partnerships, not working in silos, will build a stronger healthcare ecosystem.”
Emphasizing the region’s R&D momentum, Prof Dulal Panda, Director, NIPER Mohali, observed, “The landscape has changed – industry and government are now actively investing in R&D. With biopharma receiving a strong push in the recent budget and increased focus on deeper collaboration between R&D and manufacturing, the Northern Region is poised to emerge as a holistic biopharma hub.”
The Conclave featured focused discussions on scaling MedTech and Pharma, AI-enabled care, and capital strategies for hospitals, along with the release of the CII–Grant Thornton theme paper, “Healthcare in North India: Unlocking Regional Potential.”
The Conference witnessed participation of over 100 delegates representing policymakers, industry leaders, investors, hospital administrators, and the research fraternity.
By
