Novartis India Concludes NEST 2.0, Draws Over 33,000 Registrations Nationwide

Now in its second edition, NEST 2.0 marked a strategic evolution from a competition-led format to a more partnership-driven model. The programme placed greater emphasis on collaboration and co-creation with academic institutions, enabling decentralised ideation across campuses. Students developed solutions within their own colleges under the mentorship of faculty members, supported by structured engagement with Novartis experts.

This year’s edition saw significant participation, with over 33,000 individual registrations, more than 24,000 teams, and representation from 7,000 colleges across India. Following multiple evaluation stages that assessed technical depth, problem-solving ability, teamwork, and real-world applicability, three teams emerged as winners at the grand finale:

Nova Nexus – Indian Institute of Technology Patna

Parzival Prime – Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology & Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Codeies – Vishwakarma Institute of Technology

The winning teams shared a total prize pool of INR 7,50,000. In addition to the monetary award, finalists will be considered for pre-placement interviews with the Novartis Development Hub in India. In the previous edition of the initiative, one student finalist secured a placement through this pathway and is now employed with the company, highlighting the programme’s potential to translate academic excellence into tangible career opportunities.

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.”

The initiative was positioned as more than a competition, with NEST 2.0 focusing on learning, collaboration, and capability building. Participants were exposed to real-world scenarios at the intersection of technology and biology, equipping them with skills relevant to the rapidly evolving healthcare and life sciences landscape.

Sarvesh Singh, Director & CEO, Telangana Lifesciences, said, “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.”

With NEST 2.0, Novartis India continues its efforts to bridge the gap between academia, emerging talent, and industry-led innovation, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders in India.