India Inaugurates Phenome India āNational Biobankā to Propel Personalized Healthcare and Genomic Research.
Science and Technology
On July 6, 2025, Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh launched Indiaās first National Biobankāa centralised genomic and health databaseāat CSIRāIGIB in New Delhi. This initiative under the Phenome India Project aims to revolutionize healthcare by capturing diverse population data for precision medicine.
- The National Biobank, built by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Researchās Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIRāIGIB), will gather comprehensive genomic, lifestyle, and clinical data from 10,000 Indian participants across different geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, serving as the backbone for a long-term cohort study.
- Inspired by the UK Biobank but tailored to Indiaās vast diversity, the Biobank will enable AI-powered diagnostics, gene-guided therapies, and early disease detection. It is expected to accelerate research on diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, rare genetic disorders, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Main Point :- (i) During the launch, Dr. Singh emphasized Indiaās strengths in quantum technologies, CRISPR-based genome editing, and its pioneering work in AMR. He noted the importance of addressing Indian-specific health challenges, such as central obesity, by leveraging population-specific data.
(ii) Leaders from CSIR, including DG Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, described the Biobank as a ābaby stepā toward India becoming a global leader in personalised healthcare infrastructure. Director Dr. Souvik Maiti highlighted IGIBās legacyādecoding the Indian genome, COVIDā19 sequencing, developing 300+ rare disease diagnostics, and ongoing CRISPR therapies for conditions like sickle-cell anemia.
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