The i-Connect Business Meet is a flagship translational initiative of the Society for Ethnopharmacology, India (SFE-India), launched in 2023 to address a persistent gap between academic research and industrial application in ethnopharmacology and traditional-medicine sciences. The platform is designed to enable the translation of India’s extensive medicinal-plant and traditional-knowledge research into scientifically validated, scalable, and globally compliant products and enterprises.
Aligned with national priorities such as Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat, i-Connect positions ethnopharmacology as a driver of India’s evolving herbal and natural-product bioeconomy, while ensuring ethical sourcing, regulatory readiness, and sustainability.
Mission and Vision:
Mission
To create a collaborative ecosystem connecting academia, industry, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, accelerating the translation of traditional-medicine knowledge into evidence-based, commercially viable, and globally competitive innovations, guided by integrity, inclusiveness, and sustainability.
Vision
To position India as a global hub for traditional-medicine-based innovation and bio-entrepreneurship, where every medicinal plant, formulation, and product reflects scientific validation, ethical sourcing, and Indian excellence.
Strategic Pillars
- Evidence – Rigorous pharmacological, preclinical, and clinical validation to strengthen global credibility
- Entrepreneurship – Empowering start-ups and MSMEs through mentorship, funding access, and regulatory guidance
- Sustainability – Biodiversity conservation, fair trade, green chemistry, and traceable supply chains
- Globalization – Alignment with WHO, EU, and USFDA regulatory pathways to expand international market access
- Education – Building next-generation expertise through training and cross-disciplinary collaboration
Core Objectives
- Bridge academia and industry through translational research
- Foster ethnopharmacology-based entrepreneurship and MSMEs
- Promote evidence-based practices and data transparency
- Enhance regulatory readiness (AYUSH, FSSAI, and global frameworks)
- Integrate sustainability across herbal value chains
- Enable global competitiveness of Indian botanicals
Key Verticals
- Extract Manufacturers and Exporters – Quality, traceability, and global trade
- Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) – Sustainable cultivation and farmer empowerment
- Start-ups and Entrepreneurship – Translating research into enterprise
- ASU Drug Manufacturing – Quality systems, compliance, and modernization
- Nutraceuticals and Ayurveda Āhār – Preventive health and food-as-medicine
- Medical and Regulatory Affairs – Clinical validation, safety, and trust
What i-Connect 2026 Offers
- Industry–academia partnerships and technology-transfer opportunities
- Insights from national and international experts
- Start-up pavilions, investor roundtables, and mentorship platforms
- Policy dialogue and global exposure through SFE-India × ISE networks
- Contributions to national initiatives, including the Indian Botanicals 2030 Roadmap
A Movement Beyond a Meeting
i-Connect 2026, hosted at NIPER, Mohali, is more than a business meet. It is a mission-driven movement that transforms traditional knowledge into sustainable, evidence-based healthcare solutions and enterprises, reinforcing India’s leadership in ethnopharmacology, natural-product sciences, and responsible bio-innovation.