The three-day World Health Innovation Forum (WHIF) 2025 commenced on December 11 at the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ), Vizag, highlighting the need for stronger global partnerships, innovation-led growth and sustained progress in medical technology. Opening the Forum, Dr Jitendra Sharma, Founder CEO and Managing Director of AMTZ and Founder of WHIF, called on global health leaders to view WHIF as a long-term commitment focused on real-world outcomes rather than a one-time gathering.
Held at the Kalam Convention Centre—named in honour of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, whose vision continues to inspire India’s medtech journey—the Forum reinforced India’s growing role in delivering affordable, accessible and quality healthcare technologies to the world. The inaugural session featured prominent international health leaders and policy experts, including Dr Nico Schittekae, Dr Ravi Ramamurthi and Dr Louise Agersnap, who joined Dr Sharma in setting the agenda for the Forum.
Their addresses emphasized cross-border cooperation among governments, regulators, researchers and innovation ecosystems, positioning WHIF as a key global platform for medical technology dialogue. The opening also marked the launch of the Global MedTech Expo, spotlighting emerging technologies and international innovation linkages.
Day One of WHIF 2025 focused on the theme Engineering the Next Era of Global Health. Sessions explored intelligent health systems, material science, strategic health communication and innovation models for low- and middle-income countries. Discussions also covered the MedTech Silk Road, smart manufacturing, WHO scaling frameworks, the role of media in healthcare, and India’s expanding presence in global health trade and technology.
Day Two carried forward the discussions under the theme Transform: Designing Systems That Scale. The agenda included plenary sessions by global experts and in-depth conversations on translational research, capability-led design, cost-effective health technologies, open-source robotics, quality management systems and funding models to support medtech expansion. Poster presentations and fellows’ sessions ran across both days, highlighting emerging research and fresh ideas.
Day Three opened with a plenary featuring Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin (AVSM, ASM), Suresh Vazirani, CEO of ERBA Transasia, Dr Rajiv Nath, CEO of Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices Ltd., Dr DC Sundaresh, Director of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, and Dr SD Gupta, Trustee Secretary of the Indian Institute of Health Management Research.
WHIF 2025 is the largest edition to date, bringing together over 6,000 delegates, 204 speakers, 98 sessions, more than 100 exhibitors and 13 governing council meetings involving global health agencies, academic bodies, embassies and civil society organizations. The opening day also saw five medical product launches, a medtech hackathon, multiple international partnerships and MoUs, along with the presentation of the CII Institute of Quality Innovation Awards.
The Forum is organised around three core themes—Ignite, Transform and Sustain. Dr. Sharma encouraged participants to generate new ideas, work collectively to convert them into practical solutions and ensure their continued impact beyond the event.
The final day also coincides with the seventh anniversary of AMTZ. Over the years, the MedTech Zone has grown rapidly, contributing significantly to healthcare innovation while bringing recognition and pride to Vizag through its work.
The World Health Innovation Forum is a leading global annual platform hosted at AMTZ, bringing together governments, global health organisations, industry leaders, innovators, clinicians, academic institutions, civil society and investors. WHIF aims to advance collaboration, policy engagement and actionable initiatives to improve access to high-quality and affordable medical technologies worldwide.
