By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : September 19, 2026 7:43 am
Hackathon in Mysuru hosted by IIIT-Bangalore Innovation Centre brings together 160 participants and 20 student teams to address real-world healthcare challenges
The IIIT-Bangalore Innovation Centre, under the NAIN 2.0 programme, organised and hosted MEDHA – Medical Device Hackathon 2026 at JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru, bringing together students, faculty members, innovators, mentors and members of the medical fraternity to develop solutions to real-world healthcare challenges.
The programme was conducted in collaboration with JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER), BETIC and IIT Bombay.
MEDHA 2026 was designed to expose students to medical-device innovation and entrepreneurship while connecting them with clinical and healthcare problems requiring technology-based solutions.
Around 160 participants took part in the programme, with 20 student teams identified for the medical-device building hackathon.
The initiative was structured to take participants beyond problem identification and solution development, introducing them to intellectual property, patent protection, company formation, startup registration, investment readiness and commercialisation.
The inaugural programme began with a welcome address by Dr. T. M. Pramod Kumar, Principal, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru, followed by an introduction to the objectives of MEDHA 2026 by Dr. K. Bangarurajan. Dr. Prashant M. Vishwanath, Dean (Research), JSS AHER, Mysuru, provided an overview of the innovation ecosystem, while Amandeep Srivatsava, Chief Innovative Officer, IIIT-Bangalore, addressed the participants as Chief Guest.
The hackathon also featured knowledge sessions covering three critical areas for taking healthcare innovations towards the market. Abishek Bharadwaj A. B., Chairman, Mysore Chapter, Institute of Company Secretaries of India, conducted a session on “Company Formation – Pros and Cons”.
Dr. Chennamma, Associate Professor, Department of Master of Computer Applications, JSS Science and Technology University, Mysuru, addressed “IPR Filing and Patents”, while Sabareeshan C. K., Independent Director, BPL Ltd. and Panasonic Appliances India Ltd., Angel Investor and Startup Mentor, conducted a session on the “Investors Perspective”.
The IIIT-Bangalore Innovation Centre will support the winning team through an incubation facility, with a focus on company registration and taking the innovation beyond the project stage.
This provides a pathway for the selected innovation to progress towards formal company formation, further development and potential commercialisation.