JAMMU: The CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) on Tuesday hosted a two-day Industry–Academia Meet (IAM-2026) in Jammu, bringing together scientists, industry leaders and regulators to accelerate phytopharmaceutical research and strengthen lab-to-market linkages.
Aligned with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision, the meet focuses on building partnerships to convert traditional knowledge and natural product research into evidence-based, commercially viable drugs.
The inaugural session saw participation from senior researchers, pharmaceutical industry representatives and policymakers. The programme also included the release of the Institute Compendium and the signing of MoUs with industry partners.
Padma Shri Prof. V.K. Singh, Institute Chair Professor at IIT Kanpur and Mentor of CSIR-IIIM was the Chief Guest at the inaugural session; Guest of Honour Dr. C.K. Katiyar, former CEO of Emami; CSIR-IIIM Director Dr. Zabeer Ahmed; Er. Abdul Rahim, Chief Scientist & Head of RMBD & IST and Branch Laboratory, Srinagar Branch and Organising Secretary Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed, Head, Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry along with members of the Phytopharmaceutical Mission, CDSCO representatives, industry delegates and academicians from across the country.
Speaking at the opening, Padma Shri Prof. V.K. Singh stressed that institutions must clearly demonstrate value to attract industry collaboration. He underlined that patriotic sentiment alone cannot drive partnerships and said industries engage when research offers practical and economic relevance. Highlighting the importance of natural products in drug discovery, he cited global successes such as artemisinin as examples of nature-based breakthroughs and said platforms like IAM help address regulatory and translational hurdles.
Former CEO of Emami, Dr. C.K. Katiyar described CSIR-IIIM as a heritage institution and recalled its historical role in shaping drug regulation. He emphasised the need to scientifically link traditional knowledge with chemistry and pharmacology and called for stronger work in fermentation and phytopharmaceutical development. He also flagged challenges in pharmacokinetics, clinical validation and regulatory clarity, while raising concern over India’s heavy dependence on imported APIs.
Earlier, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, in his welcome address said the meet aims to build a sustained interface between researchers, industry and regulators. He noted that CSIR’s Phytopharmaceutical Mission is in Phase III, with ten laboratories working on extraction, characterisation and lead discovery. Three leads have completed preclinical studies and are ready for clinical translation. He identified the lack of robust GMP manufacturing and clinical infrastructure as key bottlenecks and said industry participation is vital for clinical progression. He also highlighted 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, Head, Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry said the scientific ecosystem is shifting from publication-driven research to patents, validation and societal impact. He noted that young scientists increasingly face questions about translational value and said IAM-2026 is intended to bridge that gap through co-development with industry.
The inaugural session concluded with a comprehensive vote of thanks delivered by Er. Abdul Rahim, Chief Scientist, Head of RMBD & IST and Branch Laboratory, Srinagar. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to Chief Guest Prof. V.K. Singh for sharing his insights, and to Guest of Honour Dr. C.K. Katiyar for his valuable perspectives on the phytopharmaceutical sector. Er. Rahim also thanked Director Dr. Zabeer Ahmed and Organising Secretary Dr. Qazi Naveed Ahmed for their leadership and vision in organising IAM-2026.
The second session of the day, titled Phytopharmaceuticals – The Indian Perspective, offered a comprehensive examination of the sector. Expert lectures and presentations addressed both foundational challenges and emerging opportunities in the field. Prof. Ravinder Raina, former Coordinator of ACRIP-MAP, delivered an invited lecture on the current scenario of medicinal and aromatic plants, focusing on in-situ and captive cultivation. He highlighted sustainable cultivation practices, biodiversity conservation and the need for robust supply chains to support phytopharmaceutical research and commercialisation.
Dr. Amit Chawla, Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-IHBT Palampur, spoke on validation of authentic plant material and outlined the requirements and challenges associated with quality assurance and authentication protocols. He emphasised the scientific necessity of standardised raw materials in phytopharmaceutical development.
Dr. Lal Hingorani, Founder Director of Pharmanza Herbal Pvt. Ltd., joined virtually to present his perspective on the future of phytopharmaceuticals, offering industry insights on market trends, regulatory pathways and commercial viability in domestic and global markets.
Dr. Ajay Kumar, Principal Scientist at CSIR-IIIM Jammu, concluded the session with a presentation on phytopharmaceutical R&D at CSIR-IIIM, highlighting the institute’s capabilities, ongoing projects and translational achievements.
The afternoon session commenced with an expert talk by Dr. C.K. Katiyar on the pain points of the Ayurvedic industry and the potential role of academic institutions.
He outlined structural, regulatory and scientific challenges facing the sector and argued for stronger academic partnerships in evidence generation and claims substantiation.
This was followed by a high-level panel discussion on clinical validation, claims substantiation, regulatory pathways and market access.
The panel included Dr. C.K. Katiyar, Dr. Prakash N. Singh of Himalaya Wellness, Dr. Sanjay Motilal Tamoli of Target Institute of Medical Education and Research, Dr. Sunil Kumar Dubey of Emami, Dr. Vandita Srivastava, former Director of QCS Herbals, Dr. Annam Visala, Joint Drugs Controller at CDSCO, and Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR-IIIM Jammu.
The discussion focused on regulatory compliance, technology transfer, risk-sharing models and the importance of credible scientific validation to strengthen the phytopharmaceutical and Ayurvedic sectors.
The proceedings of the events were conducted by Dr. Gurleen Kour, Scientist of CSIR-IIIM.
