Tata Trusts on July 23 launched a nationwide hunt for innovators and entrepreneurs in healthcare through its programme - "Social Alpha Quest for Healthcare Innovations".

The programme has been launched with an objective to foster innovation to solve key healthcare challenges and achieve health equity in the country, Tata Trusts said in a statement on July 23. The welfare organisation has launched the nationwide hunt in association with Social Alpha and PATH Impact Lab". "This is India's first nationwide search programme that is designed to solve key healthcare challenges, eliminate disparities and achieve health equity in India," said the statement.

"Under the programme, among various innovations, the detection and diagnosis of infectious diseases such as malaria, HIV, TB, chikungunya, HCV etc will be focused prominently," it said. The selected startups will be supported by Tata Trusts - PATH Impact Lab and their network of mentors for a period of up to 15 months and will receive various offerings, including funding up to Rs 25 lakh. Manoj Kumar, Head of Innovation, Tata Trusts and CEO, Social Alpha, said, "The Social Alpha Quest for Healthcare Innovations is a step towards supporting the innovation in their lab to market journey. "Along with our partner PATH, we hope to search and support high impact, high quality yet affordable healthcare solutions and take them to the undeserved communities across the world."