ISCR’s 19th annual conference focuses on the digital innovation shaping patient-centric clinical research in India

New Delhi: The Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR), an association of clinical research professionals, successfully hosted its 19th Annual Conference  bringing together more than 1900 individuals and 285 eminent speakers to explore how digital innovation, global collaboration and regulatory excellence are shaping the future of patient-centric clinical research in India.

Held in New Delhi, the conference featured pre-conference workshops on February 12, followed by the two-day main conference on February 13 & 14, 2026. Centered on the theme, “Accelerating Clinical Research in India through Digital Innovation, Global Collaboration and Regulatory Excellence for Patient-Centric Value Creation” the event convened clinical researchers, Indian and Global pharmaceutical, medical diagnostics, R&D companies, research trainees and startups.

Industry experts and thought leaders including  Dr. Jerin Jose Cherian (Indian Council of Medical Research), Dr. Sudeep Gupta (Tata Memorial Centre), Dr. Y K Gupta (AIIMS – Jammu and Bhopal), Dr. Suman Karanth (Fortis Memorial Research Center), Dr. Upendra Kaul (Batra Hospital), Dr. Ganesh Dakhale (AIIMS) and Gaurab Chakraborty (Veramed) participated in discussions on emerging trends, evolving regulatory frameworks, and the growing role of digital technologies in clinical research. Additional speakers at the event included representatives from leading companies like Sun Pharma, Pfizer, IQVIA, Dr. Dangs Lab, City Imaging & Clinical Labs, CRNI, Abiogenesis Clinpharm, NOVOTECH, ADVARRA, DiagnoSearch Life Sciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Fortis, etc. to name a few.

Key sessions focused on global clinical development, operational rigor in clinical research in line with development of clinical trial sites, regulatory efficiencies and harmonization, global collaboration, data integrity, innovation and patient centric research models, highlighting opportunities for India to further strengthen its position as a preferred source of high quality clinical research.

Sharing her thoughts about the importance of clinical research in India, President of ISCR, Dr. Seema Pai said, “India’s clinical research ecosystem is undergoing a significant shift driven by rapid advances in digital technologies, data-led research models and a growing focus on patient-centric trial design. Together, these  developments are enabling more efficiency, inclusiveness and scalable clinical research, while also strengthening patient engagement and trust across the research lifecycle.”

She also added, “Recent regulatory reforms and policy measures, including continued emphasis on healthcare, innovation, and research in the Union Budget, reflect India’s strong commitment to building a globally aligned and future-ready clinical research environment.”

The conference concluded with a shared sense of purpose among participants, by emphasising the importance of working together to turn ideas into action. By bringing diverse stakeholders from across the clinical research ecosystem onto one platform, the 19th ISCR Annual Conference highlighted India’s readiness to move the needle on patient-focused, technology-enabled research, while fostering trust, collaboration, and long-term value for patients and the healthcare community at large.