Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur alumnus Ajay Dubey and his wife Rooma Dubey have contributed Rs 2 crore for seeding health technology innovations. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur, and Ajay Dubey on 6 December, 2022 at IIT Kanpur.

Ajay Dubey and Rooma Dubey have contributed towards instituting the ‘Rooma & Ajay Dubey Healthcare Innovation & Ideation Programme’ (HII Programme) with an aim to fund and nurture innovations in health technology, and build an ecosystem to nurture startups founded by students in the healthtech domain.

The programme will expose students to various problem statements and motivate them to come up with technology solutions, and develop technological ideas for the betterment of the healthcare system. Under the umbrella of Startup Incubation & Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, students will get funding and networking opportunities to fast-track their growth and build a culture of entrepreneurship. 

After signing the MoU, Ajay Dubey said, “The aim of instituting HII programme is to find solutions that have been designed, developed, and manufactured in India. Affordable healthcare is already a huge challenge. The only way forward is for India to create its own solutions, designing, developing, and innovating here, to come out with equipment, processes that work in India, and at a scale that we need it.”