ISCR, CHAKRA sign MoU to strengthen clinical research capacity in Maharashtra
The partnership will focus on GCP and ethics training, research governance, quality frameworks and site readiness across CHAKRA’s hub-and-spoke network
The Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR) and the Centre for Health Applied Knowledge & Research Autonomy (CHAKRA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen responsible, ethical and high-quality clinical research capacity across Maharashtra.
According to Built on Scale, Turning to Science, a July 2026 report by BCG and HealthKois, India’s life sciences innovation ecosystem is gaining momentum, with more than 10 novel drug assets originating from India over the past decade and the innovation pipeline expanding by around 1.5 times.
However, India’s participation in clinical research remains low compared with its population and disease burden. The BCG–HealthKois report notes that India carries about 15 per cent of the global disease burden but conducts around 4 per cent of global clinical trials. Separately, ICMR INTENT reports that India accounts for 18 per cent of the world’s population but 1.4 per cent of global clinical research.
Through the MoU, ISCR and CHAKRA will work together to strengthen clinical research capabilities at site and institutional levels. The collaboration will focus on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and ethics training, research governance, standard operating procedures, quality frameworks, and site readiness and capability mapping across CHAKRA’s hub-and-spoke network.
The partnership will also support academic and professional development and facilitate knowledge exchange to promote globally benchmarked clinical research practices across Maharashtra.
Commenting on the partnership, Dr Seema Pai, President, ISCR, said, “Only one in 5,000 to 10,000 molecules tested in the laboratory progresses to human studies, underscoring the importance of ensuring that the sites carrying this science forward are built on equally rigorous foundations. Our collaboration with CHAKRA brings together ISCR’s expertise in training, ethics and quality with CHAKRA’s network to strengthen the readiness of research sites across Maharashtra to conduct high-quality, globally benchmarked studies. We look forward to building this capacity together.”
Dr Ranjana Kumar, CEO, CHAKRA, said, “Strengthening research capacity at the grassroots is central to CHAKRA’s mission. Partnering with ISCR will help our hub-and-spoke network build the skills, governance frameworks and site readiness needed to participate in ethical, high-quality clinical research. Ultimately, stronger research capabilities can benefit researchers, institutions, patients and the communities we serve.”
The partnership reflects a shared commitment by ISCR and CHAKRA to build institutional capacity and promote standards of quality and ethics in clinical research across Maharashtra.