Established in 2014, the Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering (WRCB) at IIT Bombay has spent over a decade advancing biosciences and bioengineering research and translating scientific discoveries into healthcare innovations. Building on this strong foundation, the Wadhwani Innovation Centre (WIC) was inaugurated in 2026 to strengthen the focus on technology translation, commercialisation, and real-world deployment. WIC carries forward WRCB’s legacy, accelerating healthcare innovation from research to real-world impact in India and globally.
Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering
The Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering (WRCB) at IIT Bombay has, over the past decade, played a pivotal role in advancing biosciences and bioengineering research.
Established through the philanthropic support of Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, WRCB has enabled the translation of scientific discoveries into impactful innovations addressing critical healthcare challenges. Its efforts have laid the foundation for a strong translational ecosystem at IIT Bombay.
Startups Supported by WRCB
WRCB has supported a diverse portfolio of startups translating cutting-edge research into real-world healthcare solutions, spanning diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical technologies.
Success stories
From Lab to Impact
WRCB has enabled several innovations to progress from early-stage research to translational and commercial pathways. These success stories highlight the journey of technologies addressing real-world healthcare needs.
Success story
ImmunoACT: Affordable CAR-T Cell Therapy
Prof. Rahul Purwar · ImmunoACT
Prof. Rahul Purwar’s startup ImmunoACT has brought down the treatment cost of CAR-T cell therapy from INR 4 Cr ($400K) to INR 40 L ($40K). The technology, NexCAR19, was dedicated to the nation by the Honourable President Smt. Droupadi Murmu in April 2024.
Success story
National Startup Awards 2022
Prof. Manoj Gopalkrishnan & team
Prof. Manoj Gopalkrishnan and his team won the Startup India 2022 award for Best Startup in Life Sciences. It also won the Best Women-led Startup award, making it the only startup to win in both categories.
Success story
Sickle Cell Diagnostic Technology Licensed
Prof. Debjani Paul
Prof. Debjani Paul licensed her sickle cell diagnostic technology, taking it a step closer to patients who need affordable screening.
Success story
Runner-up at Eureka E-Summit 2024
Dr. Preethi A. Murugan
Dr. Preethi A. Murugan was runner-up in the pan-IIT track at Eureka, E-Summit 2024.
Success story
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award
Dr. Uddipta Singh · Prof. Prasanna Gandhi’s lab, Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Uddipta Singh, a PhD scholar with Prof. Prasanna Gandhi (Mechanical Engineering), received the prestigious Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award for his WRCB-supported work on a novel method for plasma extraction from a blood droplet.
Portfolio of Innovations
Over the past decade, the Wadhwani Research Centre for Bioengineering (WRCB) at IIT Bombay has supported more than 117 translational research projects across a broad spectrum of technology maturity from early stage ideas and proof-of-concept studies to more advanced experimental validations.
This portfolio represents a curated collection of innovations developed within our ecosystem. Several of these technologies are currently at laboratory or prototype stages, reflecting the early and exploratory nature of academic translational research, with a strong emphasis on addressing unmet clinical and industrial needs.
It highlights the depth and diversity of ongoing innovation, fosters academic–industry engagement, and enables partners to explore opportunities for further development, validation, and translation.
Building a Collaborative Ecosystem
Over the past decade, WRCB has fostered a vibrant ecosystem through strategic partnerships, events, and engagement across academia, industry, and healthcare.
WRCB has organized and participated in a wide range of workshops, conferences, and knowledge-sharing sessions, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders to exchange ideas and drive innovation.
Industry & Academic Collaborations
Strong collaborations with industry and academic institutions have enabled co-development, technology transfer, and advancement of translational research initiatives.
Events & Workshops
Startup & Ecosystem Engagement
Through active engagement with startups and innovators, WRCB has fostered mentorship, networking, and opportunities for growth within the innovation ecosystem.
Events & Workshops
CSR & Partner Engagement
WRCB has worked closely with CSR partners and stakeholders to strengthen infrastructure and support impactful translational programs.
Events & Workshops
Wadhwani Innovation Centre
Building on a decade of impactful work at WRCB, the vision has now expanded to focus more strongly on translating innovations from the laboratory to market-ready solutions. This next phase was marked by the inauguration of the Wadhwani Innovation Centre (WIC) in 2026, reflecting a strategic shift toward enabling real-world deployment and scale.
As we move forward, we look ahead to achieving new milestones in advancing innovation, strengthening partnerships, and delivering meaningful impact in healthcare.
WRCB
A decade of supporting translational research
WIC
Translating Innovation into Impact
List of Ongoing Projects
Translational research projects currently being supported at IIT Bombay.
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