ALIGARH, April 1: The Faculty of Unani Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), organised “IDEATHON 2026: Incubation and Startup Identification Workshop” to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and startup culture in Unani medicine and healthcare.
Addressing the inaugural session, Chief Guest Prof. Qayyum Husain, former Vice Chancellor, Cluster University Srinagar, emphasised the need to integrate technology with traditional healthcare systems and highlighted the vast potential of Unani medicine in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors, with particular focus on the role of Ghiza (diet) in health promotion.
Guest of Honour Prof. Mohammad Sajjad Athar spoke on the emerging opportunities in Unani medicine for research and entrepreneurship, while Dr. Shivakumar Harti highlighted the growing scope of commercialization in medical sciences and the support extended by the Government of India and the Ministry of AYUSH for startups.
Prof. S.M. Safdar Ashraf, Dean, Faculty of Unani Medicine, underscored the importance of research-driven innovation and emphasised the shift towards creating job providers in line with the National Education Policy 2020. Prof. B.D. Khan, Principal, Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College, described the workshop as a timely initiative to address employment challenges through innovation and continuous research.
Earlier, Chairperson, RIED Cell, Prof. Syeda Aamena Naaz, welcoming the guests, highlighted the importance of innovation, research, patents and startups, encouraging students to actively engage in entrepreneurial pursuits.
The workshop, organised by the RIED Cell in collaboration with the AMU Innovation Foundation (AMU-IF), featured multiple scientific sessions and startup proposal presentations by students. In a pre-inaugural session, Mr. Mohd Tabish, Incubation Manager, AMU-IF, delivered a talk on “Idea to Investment,” while Dr. Syed Ahmad Rizvi, Director, AMU-IF, spoke on transforming innovations into scalable enterprises.
Postgraduate students Dr. Hina Meraj, Dr. Tuba Razi, Dr. Iqra Khanam, Dr. Aisha Razi and Dr. Safia Naiyar, along with undergraduate students Ms. Musfera, Ms. Fatima Zainab, Ms. Maria Sherwani and Ms. Mantasha Parveen, presented innovative startup proposals. In another session, Mr. Saif Malik, Ms. Daniya Parveen and Mr. Ziaul Islam showcased the AIVION Smart Health Monitoring System and Application.
The programme was convened by Dr. Abdul Aziz Khan and coordinated by Prof. Zameer Ahmad. Dr. Qazi Zaid Ahmad, Dr. Mursaleen Naseer, Dr. Sumbul Rehman and Dr. Abiha Ahmad Khan served as Co-Conveners. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Zameer Ahmad.
The workshop provided a valuable platform for fostering innovation and strengthening the startup ecosystem among students and scholars in Unani medicine.
Public Relations Office
Aligarh Muslim University
