Malaysian healthcare major IHH Healthcare and its Indian subsidiary Fortis Healthcare have launched IHH Catalyst, a national healthcare innovation platform designed to accelerate the deployment of patient-centric, technology-enabled solutions across India’s hospital ecosystem.
The initiative is part of IHH’s broader innovation strategy and was first introduced in October last year as the IHH Global Incubator.
The initiative seeks to bridge the gap in India’s healthcare innovation journey, moving promising healthtech and medtech startups beyond pilots and proofs of concept into real-world clinical validation, hospital adoption and scalable implementation.
The three-month hybrid programme will combine in-person and virtual engagement, with selected startups receiving mentorship from IHH and Fortis leadership, clinicians and functional experts.
While the firms did not specify the number of startups to be onboarded, the platform will focus on execution-ready startups that demonstrate strong relevance to hospital workflows, patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
The programme will follow a multi-stage selection and evaluation process.
“Through IHH Catalyst, we are committed to taking healthcare innovation beyond experimentation into real hospital environments where solutions can be validated, adopted and scaled,” said Ashok Pandit, group chief corporate officer, IHH Healthcare.
The move comes even as India hosts one of the world’s fastest-growing healthcare startup ecosystems, addressing challenges across access, affordability, quality and efficiency of care.
“However, large-scale adoption within hospital systems remains a key barrier,” the companies said in a joint statement.
Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, managing director and chief executive officer, Fortis Healthcare, added that the initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s Startup India vision, creating a structured pathway for healthcare startups to engage directly with hospitals, clinicians and patients.
“At Fortis, we see this as an opportunity to enable scalable, technology-led solutions that improve quality of care, operational efficiency and access, while positioning India as a global centre for healthcare innovation,” he added.
The companies said IHH Catalyst will serve as a regional platform, with future editions planned across IHH markets. “This will enable Indian startups to scale internationally while contributing to global healthcare innovation,” they said.
