MedTech Zone Puts Vizag on the Science Map of India
Visakhapatnam: In a major boost to Vizag's growing scientific stature, the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) has firmly placed the city on India's science and technology map. During a high-level meeting in New Delhi, the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Prof.
Ajay Sood, released the Science and Technology (S&T) Clusters Annual Report 2024–25, featuring the Vizag Science and Technology Cluster based at AMTZ as one of the country's eight strategic innovation hubs.
Launched in 2024, the Vizag Science and Technology Cluster is the youngest of India's S\&T Clusters but has already made its mark by fostering collaboration across medical technology, automation, circular economy, advanced materials, and e-waste management.
Spearheaded by AMTZ, the cluster brings together researchers, startups, industry, and academic institutions to create scalable impact through technology.
At the meeting, Dr Jitendra Sharma, MD and founder CEO of AMTZ and anchor of the VSTC, shared the cluster's broader mission. "The Vizag S&T Cluster is a catalyst for convergence—linking science, industry, and innovation. We're translating this synergy into self-reliant healthcare solutions that advance Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat."
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Located within Asia's largest medical technology park, AMTZ, the Vizag S\&T Cluster has launched several impactful initiatives. Among them is a sustainable e-waste management facility, 'e-yantram', being developed in collaboration with the National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), supporting scientific collection, dismantling, and recycling of electronic waste. In cardiac care, it has advanced the indigenous development of pacemaker leads through a technology transfer, and other efforts are underway to localize device manufacturing and reduce import reliance.
Beyond infrastructure, the cluster is fostering collaboration between industry and academia through initiatives like the Vizag S&T Cluster Industry Meet. The S&T Clusters Annual Report 2024–25 outlines key achievements from clusters across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, NCR, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar, and Chandigarh—but Vizag's rapid ascent within a year of inception is being seen as a model of how science and innovation can be localized for maximum national benefit.
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