By Kashmira Konduparty
Wadhwani Foundation and the Gates Foundation sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem through the National Innovation Network (NIN), national-scale extension of the Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN).
The Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29, 2025. It was established to bridge the gap between academia, industry and funding partners, accelerating research-to-market pathways in India. NIN now aims to expand this model at a national level.
This collaborating is focused on enabling traditional research and entrepreneurial innovation in areas of high societal impact such as health, nutrition, biotechnology, geonomics, medtech and other emerging sectors. The Gates Foundation will be supporting five NIN Centers of Excellence (CoEs) over five years, beginning with two centers this year.
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These supported NIN CoEs will help researchers turn their ideas into practical products and solutions by supporting testing, prototype development, pilot projects, patents, business partnerships, startup creation and commercialization beyond the laboratory stage.
Since its launch, WIN has supported more than 50 projects across sectors including health technology, medical technology, biotechnology and quantum technology. The initiative also established CoEs at institutions like IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Indian Institute of Science and C-Camp. Upcoming “Super Hubs” are planned at IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay focusing on artificial intelligence, health and biotechnology research.
NIN expands this model into a larger collaborative platform aimed at supporting translational research and commercialization across India. The initiative will bring together government agencies, corporate partners, philanthropic organizations and academic institutions under a shared operational framework developed by the Wadhwani Foundation.
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“WIN has demonstrated that India’s innovation potential can be unlocked when researchers, institutions, industry and capital come together with a shared mission,” said Dr. Ajay Kela, CEO & Board Member, Wadhwani Foundation. He said that the NIN initiative would help expand innovation opportunities across the country and support researchers and entrepreneurs in turning scientific ideas into products, startups and large-scale social impact.
“We are delighted to collaborate with the Gates Foundation, a pioneer and leader in healthcare innovation, in advancing innovation-led solutions in areas critical to India’s future,” Dr. Kela added.
Archana Vyas, director of India Country Office at the Gates Foundation, said the partnership aims to help Indian institutions move scientific discoveries into affordable and scalable solutions. “Some of the most consequential health and nutrition innovations of the next decade will originate in Indian institutions,” she added.
NIN plans to establish more than 250 CoEs across India over the next three to five years, with the goal of supporting translational research, startup creation and commercialization in nationally important sectors while also generating jobs and economic growth.