|
Novartis India has successfully concluded the 2026 edition of NEST (Nurturing Excellence, Strengthening Talent) — its flagship real-world, case-based initiative. In its second edition, NEST evolved from a competition-led format to a more partnership-driven model, with a stronger emphasis on collaboration and co-creation with academic institutions. The initiative enabled decentralized ideation, encouraging students to develop solutions within their own campuses under the guidance of faculty mentors and with structured support from Novartis experts. This year, the platform received over 33,000 individual registrations, over 24,000 teams and more than 7,000 colleges participating.
Multiple evaluation stages that assessed technical depth, problem-solving ability, collaboration and potential real-world impact, had the finale of NEST 2.0 recognized three winning teams. These were Nova Nexus- Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, Parzival Prime- Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering & Technology & Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and ?Codeies- Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune.
The winners shared a total prize pool of Rs. 7,50,000. In addition, the finalists will have the opportunity to be considered for pre-placement interviews with the Novartis Development Hub in India. Notably, in the previous edition, one of the student finalists successfully secured a placement through this process and is now an employee at Novartis, underscoring the tangible career pathways the platform enables.
Sadhna Joglekar, head, Development Hub, India, said, “NEST was created to provide a credible platform for young talent to engage with real-world challenges in clinical development. At Novartis, it is our belief that meaningful healthcare innovation happens when strong scientific thinking, digital capabilities, and diverse perspectives come together with a clear focus on patients. Through this platform, we are not only challenging participants to solve complex, real-world problems, but also helping them build the mindset, skills, and confidence required to operate in a global environment. The quality of ideas and depth of engagement we witnessed this year reinforces our confidence in India’s next generation of healthcare innovators.”
Designed as more than a competition, NEST 2.0 focused on learning, collaboration, and capability building, equipping participants with skills relevant to the rapidly evolving healthcare and life sciences landscape, she added.
"NEST is a strong example of how industry-led initiatives can meaningfully strengthen India’s life-sciences ecosystem. “By aligning policy intent with on-ground talent development, and by giving students early exposure to real-world problem-solving at the intersection of technology and biology, the programme is helping build a future-ready workforce. Platforms like this effectively bridge academia, industry, and entrepreneurship, and play an important role in ensuring that our innovation ecosystem continues to grow in depth and global relevance,” said Sarvesh Singh, director & CEO, Telangana Lifesciences.
With NEST2.0, Novartis India continues with its ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between academia, emerging talent, and industry-led innovation, said the company note.
|