New Delhi, Mar 2 (IANS): The budgetary allowance for the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has increased four-fold in the last 10 years, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

The Health Minister said this while speaking at the ICMR-convened Governing Council Meeting.

The meeting was organised by the ICMR to engage in discussions on its recent contributions, explore the initiatives spearheaded by the Council, and outline the strategic roadmap for the future of medical research.

In the meeting, Mansukh Mandaviya emphasised that the government's commitment, coupled with ICMR's relentless efforts, will position India on the global stage as a leader in medical research and development.

Among the key achievements highlighted in the meeting, the government noted that ICMR has extended its coverage to over 100 districts nationwide through the recently launched National Health Research Programme.

The ICMR has established centres of excellence at 7 IITs for product development and 5 ICMR-Centers for Advanced Research (CAR) dedicated to benchtop testing, pre-clinical and clinical evaluation, and validation.

This initiative aims to bolster the 'Make in India' medtech sector while promoting AI-based health solutions.

The Health Minister also expressed satisfaction with the growth being witnessed by ICMR's research advancements and urged the Council to keep adapting to changing times for India to meet global expectations in medical innovation.

He praised the recently-launched MedTech Mitra initiative, which aims to support the private sector with the development of affordable indigenous medical devices.

In coherence with the Prime Minister's Mission Recruitment and Rozgar Mela initiatives, the ICMR has successfully filled over 1,200 vacancies.