Programme Outline

08:30 – 09:00 | Registration, refreshments & networking

Early networking across research leaders, funders, patients, policy makers, and industry partners.

09:00 – 09:10 | Welcome & introduction

BMJ leadership: Kamran Abbasi, Editor-in-chief, The BMJ

The welcome will set the overall theme and articulate the shared objectives for the day, establishing a common agenda for translating health research into real-world impact in India.

Keynote framing and objectives

The opening keynote will set a shared direction for the Forum by outlining three clear objectives:

• • • • Clarifying how Indian health research can more effectively translate into policy and real-world practice
      • Highlighting emerging priorities that may shape future research funding and national health agendas
      • Strengthening the global visibility, credibility, and policy relevance of Indian research and journals

09:10 – 09:50 | Keynote address

Driving real-world impact: from health data to One Health in India

Keynote speaker: Major General (Prof) Dr Atul Kotwal, ICMR

The keynote will trace how India’s national digital health and evidence-access initiatives—such as ABDM and ONOS—create the foundations for translating research into policy and practice, culminating in a One Health approach aligned with India’s long-term resilience agenda.

09:50 – 10:05 | Tea break & poster viewing

10:05 – 10:25 | Leadership perspective

Building institutions that translate research into impact 

10:25 – 11:15 | Flagship panel discussion

Translating research into practice: institutional pathways to real-world impact in India

Supported by Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)

This flagship discussion will examine how India’s leading academic and clinical institutions translate research into real-world impact—from data-driven innovation and digital health integration to system-level change aligned with a One Health approach.

11:15 – 11:45 | Abstract spotlight session

Five top-rated abstracts will be presented as short talks, followed by a moderated discussion. Patients and funders will be actively included in the Q&A to strengthen relevance and impact.

11:45 – 12:00 | Tea break & poster viewing

12:00 – 12:50 | Panel discussion 

The future of health research in India: Perspectives

A strategic dialogue featuring leading researchers, policymakers and health system leaders

12:50 – 13:35 | Networking lunch & poster walk

13:35 – 14:20 | Panel discussion

From evidence to implementation: an Indian research-to-policy journey

Supported by Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations (CAHO)

This interactive session demonstrates how health research in India can move from evidence generation to real-world, system-level impact, translating research insights into policy and practice through effective leadership, partnerships, and implementation strategies.
Participants will engage in a hands-on walkthrough of a real Indian implementation research or POCQI project that successfully moved from a small pilot to scale (statewide or national).
The session will explore:

• • • • How the research question was framed
      • Funding, design, and governance choices
      • Operational challenges and course corrections
      • What enabled (and blocked) policy uptake
      • Key lessons for researchers, funders, and policymakers

14:20 – 14:50 | Panel discussion

Community voice panel: Nothing about us without us 

14:50 – 15:05 | Tea break

15:05 – 15:35 | Panel discussion

From evidence to trust: Research integrity as the foundation of impact 

This session will examine how Indian journals can serve as critical enablers of real-world impact by ensuring that high-quality evidence is accessible, discoverable, and usable by clinicians, policymakers, and health systems.
The discussion will explore how publishing standards, digital integration, and equitable access to research can support India’s transition from data-driven innovation to system-level, One Health–oriented outcomes.
Panel discussion moderated by a BMJ senior editor.

Discussion themes:

• • • • Quality and Standards: Strengthening peer review, ethics, and transparency
      • Data Integration: Linking ABDM and ONOS with journal publishing to improve discoverability and interoperability
      • Patient Voice: Integrating patient-reported outcomes and lived experience into scholarly publishing
      • Policy Uptake: Making published research timely, accessible, and actionable for policymakers
      • Global Reach: Enhancing indexing, international collaboration, and global visibility of Indian journals

15:35 – 16:05 | Distinguished speaker session

AI and the Future of Health Research: Opportunity, Risk and Responsibility

16:05 – 16:35 | Closing plenary & poster awards

Outstanding posters and abstracts will be recognised for their potential to influence practice, policy, and health systems.