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ZS PRIZE, a healthcare innovation programme, selects top 8 teams for jury evaluation and final winner announcement in April 2021These innovative ideas have come from participants representing colleges, startups, NGOs and corporations across the country MUMBAI, India, March 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZS PRIZE, a healthcare innovation programme launched by global professional services firm ZS, has announced its top 8 teams from a record 2,900 submissions. The programme, which was launched in October 2020, received more than 33,000 registrations from across colleges, startups and corporations, bringing together a diverse pool of participants to address healthcare innovation needs in India. At a time when digital transformation in healthcare is needed, the solutions submitted to ZS PRIZE, leverage artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT) and big data to transform the current Indian healthcare landscape by focusing on the accessibility and affordability of healthcare solutions. The ideas cover the spectrum of diagnostic as well as therapeutic solutions. These health innovations are looking to provide solutions for accurate and early diagnosis of diseases, remote monitoring systems for patients and providing portability to patients. Similarly, a wide range of innovation "form factors" were represented in the submissions, such as smart assistive devices, deep-learning-powered apps and IoT driven remotely controlled devices, which are greatly needed in India. Some of the ideas also solve for the lack of skilled workforce in many remote parts of India thus providing accessibility to a broader population. The top 8 teams were selected through a rigorous evaluation process from a shortlist 20. The top 20 teams selected in January, received a 4-week mentorship with leading experts at ZS. The mentorship helped the teams refine their submissions, understand their go-to-market strategy and practice making their final pitch to the jury members. Beyond the ZS mentors, the teams also interacted with various start up founders and leaders who shared their own experience and journey as well as shared many ideas on how the teams can better shape their solutions. This presented a great opportunity to learn from leading industry experts and dive deeper into the nuances and potential market value of their solutions. The top 8 teams will present their solutions to the ZS PRIZE jury in April 2021 post a 2-week mentoring by practicing clinicians from across the country. Regarding the level of participation in this year's ZS PRIZE, Sanjay Joshi, regional maaging principal and Head of Asia, ZS, said, "The pandemic has projected healthcare on top of the public discourse agenda. As a firm, we are proud to launch ZS PRIZE to help accelerate innovation in healthcare. We have been pleasantly overwhelmed with the strong response we received from across the country - both in quantity and quality of ideas submitted. Through our mentorship program, participant teams were able to strengthen their submissions for jury deliberation. Each of the top 8 teams selected for final round of deliberations has the potential to improve the lives of millions of Indians." Reinforcing this point, Ravi Venkatesan, Jury Chairman ZS PRIZE, Founder of GAME and Former Chairman of Microsoft India, said, "Technology is the disruptor. And new digital technologies are disrupting the healthcare sector in fundamental ways. I am impressed with the quality of the top 8 ideas for the final round as each of the ideas advances the affordability and accessibility of healthcare innovation for the masses in India." Here are the top 8 solutions that are in line for the ZS PRIZE finale, which is scheduled for April 2021:
Along with Ravi Venkatesan, other jury members for ZS PRIZE include Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon; Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals; Sandeep Singhal, Managing Director, Nexus Venture Partners; Dr. Ferzaan Engineer, Chairman, Cytecare Hospitals; K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India; Vijay Chandru, Chairman, Strand Life Sciences; Dipak Jain, President and Professor at China Europe International Business School and Former Dean of Kellogg School of Management. For more information on ZS PRIZE: https://zsprize.zs.com/ About ZS ZS is a professional services firm that works side-by-side with companies to help develop and deliver products that drive customer value and company results. We leverage our deep industry expertise, leading-edge analytics, technology and strategy to create solutions that work in the real world. With more than 35 years of experience and 7,000-plus ZSers in 28 offices worldwide, we are passionately committed to helping companies and their customers thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.zs.com/ or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/512249/ZS_Logo.jpg |