Bringing Nutrition to the Centre of Healthcare
In January 2026, ProVeg India participated in and sponsored the landmark 50th Annual Signature CME organised by the PAN India in Bengaluru. Held at Taj Yeshwantpur in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association Bangalore chapter and Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, the conference brought together over 600 clinicians, researchers, policymakers, hospital leaders, and public health professionals to explore the role of evidence-based nutrition in addressing obesity, prediabetes, and metabolic diseases.
The CME reflected a growing shift in healthcare conversations in India. Rather than treating nutrition as a secondary lifestyle issue, the conference positioned dietary patterns, particularly plant-predominant, whole-food approaches, as a critical pillar of preventive and therapeutic healthcare. Across keynote lectures, panel discussions, and clinical demonstrations, speakers explored how evidence-based nutrition can support better cardiometabolic outcomes while also contributing to more sustainable food systems.
ProVeg India’s Contribution
As part of the Mini Talk Series, Karthik Pulugurtha, Executive Director at ProVeg India, spoke about plant-based advocacy focused on sustainable nutrition in lower-middle-income countries. His session highlighted ProVeg India’s work in strengthening nutrition security through scalable, system-level interventions rather than relying solely on individual behaviour change.
Karthik discussed how ProVeg India is working to advance sustainable plant-based livelihoods, improve institutional procurement of nutritious plant-based foods, and create pathways for integrating affordable, nutrient-dense foods into schools, hospitals, and public programmes. The session reflected ProVeg India’s broader vision of building resilient food systems that can support public health, farmer livelihoods, and environmental sustainability simultaneously.
The conference strongly aligned with several of ProVeg India’s ongoing priorities around increasing the availability and acceptance of plant-based foods within institutional and healthcare settings. Multiple sessions explored the role of whole-food plant-based dietary patterns in managing chronic diseases, improving metabolic health, and supporting long-term health outcomes.
From Research to Real-World Practice
One of the most significant aspects of the CME was its focus on translating nutrition science into practical clinical tools. PAN India launched A Physician’s Guide to Therapeutic Nutrition Prescription – Healthy & Sustainable Diets, a clinician-focused resource designed to help doctors integrate evidence-based, plant-predominant dietary approaches into patient care. The guide was referenced throughout the conference as an example of how nutrition can move from abstract theory into actionable healthcare practice.
The event also demonstrated how healthcare professionals across specialities, including endocrinology, cardiology, paediatrics, oncology, neurology, and lifestyle medicine, are increasingly engaging with plant-forward nutrition as part of mainstream clinical care.
Alongside the scientific sessions, delegates experienced curated whole-food plant-based meals featuring tofu, tempeh, legumes, whole grains, pulses, and millets. The menu showcased how nutritious and sustainable meals can be integrated into everyday eating without compromising taste, practicality, or cultural relevance. The emphasis on pulses and locally relevant plant proteins reflected the importance of accessible dietary solutions for India’s healthcare landscape.
Building Future Collaborations
A particularly encouraging outcome from the CME was the emergence of new collaborative pathways between healthcare institutions and organisations working on nutrition-focused interventions. Discussions initiated during the event led to conversations with hospitals and public health stakeholders around integrating nutrition-led prevention programmes and evidence-based dietary interventions into routine care.
For ProVeg India, participation in the CME was part of a broader commitment to supporting evidence-based conversations around food systems, nutrition security, and public health. By engaging with clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare institutions, ProVeg India continues to contribute to building greater awareness around the role of plant-based foods in addressing some of India’s most pressing health and sustainability challenges.
The 50th Annual Signature CME ultimately demonstrated that nutrition is increasingly being recognised not just as a matter of personal lifestyle, but as a systems-level healthcare priority. As conversations around preventive health and sustainable diets continue to grow in India, collaborations between medical professionals, public health organisations, and food system stakeholders will play an important role in shaping the future of healthcare.
