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

Now in its second edition, NEST 2.0 marks a strategic evolution from a competition-focused format to a more partnership-focused model. The program placed greater emphasis on collaboration and co-creation with academic institutions, enabling decentralized thinking across campuses. Students developed solutions at their colleges under the mentorship of faculty, supported by structured interaction with Novartis experts.
This year’s event saw significant participation with over 33,000 individual registrations, over 24,000 teams and representation from 7,000 colleges across India. After multiple evaluation stages assessing technical depth, problem-solving ability, teamwork and real-world applicability, three teams were crowned winners in the grand final:

Nova Nexus – Indian Institute of Technology Patna
Parzival Prime – Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Codes – Vishwakarma Institute of Technology

The winning teams shared a total prize pool of INR 7,50,000. In addition to prize money, finalists will also be considered for pre-placement interviews with the Novartis Development Center in India. In the previous edition of the initiative, one student finalist secured a placement through this route and is now working at the company; This highlights the programme’s potential to translate academic excellence into tangible career opportunities.

Sadhna Joglekar, President, India Development Centre, said: “NEST was created to provide a credible platform for young talent to tackle real-world challenges in clinical development. At Novartis, we believe 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 not only challenge participants to solve complex, real-world problems, but also help them develop the mindset, skills and confidence required to work in a global environment. The quality of ideas we have witnessed this year and The depth of participation strengthens our confidence in India’s next generation of healthcare innovators.”
The initiative is positioned as more than a competition, with NEST 2.0 focusing on learning, collaboration and talent development. 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 environment.

Sarvesh Singh, Director and 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-the-ground talent development and providing students with early exposure to real-world problem solving at the intersection of technology and biology, the program helps build a future-ready workforce. Platforms like this effectively bridge academia, industry and entrepreneurship and play a key role in our deep and global innovation ecosystem.” “to ensure that it continues to grow at that level.”

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