GENESIS & OVERVIEW
Centre for Health, Applied Knowledge and Research Autonomy (CHAKRA) is a pioneering initiative of the Government of Maharashtra, Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD), with a vision of creating a network of Centers of Excellence for promoting excellence in medical education, advance medical research and enhancing the quality of patient care. The vision is to become a national leader in medical education, healthcare delivery, and clinical/academic research at par with world class institutions.
Its genesis is in the Network of Centers of Excellence (CoE) Policy, 2023, issued by the Government of Maharashtra's Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD). It aligns with Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) commitment to drive healthcare standards to unparalleled heights across Maharashtra. The policy emphasizes the establishment of a coordinated Hub-and-Spoke Network to promote excellence in medical education, advanced research, and patient care. This dynamic initiative focuses on creating capital assets, fostering innovation, and enhancing institutional effectiveness to address Maharashtra's healthcare, medical education, and research challenges.
CHAKRA was established in April 2025 and formally launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in June 2025 as a section 8 company under the aegis of MEDD. It operates on a hub-and-spoke model, working with health sciences institutes affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS). CHAKRA expects to form public-private partnerships for clinical trials and healthcare innovation with central government institutes, multilateral agencies, other national and international academic institutes, pharma industry, Med-tech, Health-tech, and startups. CHAKRA is based out of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences campus (hub) and collaborates closely with select health sciences institutes (spokes) in Maharashtra.
CHAKRA COMPRISES FIVE
VERTICALS TO BUILD CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE:
OUR VALUES
Our values guide everything we do at CHAKRA. They define who we are and how we work together to achieve our mission.
Innovation
We encourage creative thinking and novel approaches to healthcare challenges.
Collaboration
We believe in the power of partnerships to achieve greater impact.
Excellence
We strive for the highest standards in everything we do.
Impact
Our work directly improves healthcare outcomes for millions of people.
STRATEGIC AIMS
CHAKRA aims to position Maharashtra and its affiliated institutions on a global platform, fostering the highest standards of quality, accessibility, and comprehensive care while addressing the state's unique healthcare challenges.
1. Enable Educational Excellence
Maharashtra is striving to become India's leading state for medical education by increasing training opportunities and producing highly skilled healthcare professionals. The state plans to elevate more than ten government medical colleges into the nation's top fifty, making it a top choice for students. Ongoing training will keep medical staff up to date with best practices, while improvements in health system structure and service delivery are set to raise the quality and affordability of care. Enhanced secondary and tertiary care in government medical colleges and a strong push toward advanced clinical research aim to position Maharashtra as a national and global center for medical innovation.
- Capacity building via increased in :
- Number of learners
- Number of courses
- Improvement in rankings of Spokes
- Curriculum expansion: Number of new courses launched
- Impact on Leadership: Robust pipeline & skill competence
2. Advance Research
Maharashtra aims to lead medical education in India by expanding training capacity, placing over 10 government colleges among the nation's top 50, and becoming the preferred state for medical students. The plan includes ongoing healthcare worker training, improved care quality and affordability, innovative delivery and financing, and enhanced secondary and tertiary care. Additionally, Maharashtra seeks to become a major center for advanced medical research and clinical studies both nationally and globally.
CHAKRA will aim to achieve following to advance research in medical and allied health sciences:
- Augment number of high-quality projects in Translational, Interdisciplinary & clinical research projects
- Accelerate Startups: Number of startups onboarded, IP/Patents filed & won
- Attract funds and extramural grants
3. Enhance the Quality of Patient Care
To establish Maharashtra as the top state for medical education in India by developing a strong pipeline of highly skilled medical professionals and continuously upgrading their expertise, CHAKRA aims to boost the capacity and reputation of government medical colleges (SPOKES for CHAKRA). Its efforts focus on regularly updating medical staff's skills, improving the quality and affordability of care through innovative service models, and enhancing both secondary and tertiary healthcare in government institutions.
CHAKRA will impact following indicators to achieve this aim:
- Number of Digital health courses and programs for healthcare professionals / students / faculty
- Faculty trained in Simulation & Digital Health
- Research projects on translational impact on secondary and tertiary care delivery models
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