New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday stressed on extending research to the market and beneficiaries in society.
Issuing a call for deeper collaborations between research institutions, government departments like biotechnology, and industry partners, particularly in areas such as drug development, Dr Singh, also vice president of CSIR, said, “Research must extend beyond the lab, it must find takers in the market and beneficiaries in society.”
The Union Minister inaugurated the state-of-the-art Phenome India “National Biobank” at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi.
Taking to his X handle, Dr Singh said the National Biobank is yet another step towards generating Indian data and Indian remedies for patients across the country.
“Today, we hold the promise of a future where every Indian may receive personalised medical treatment tailored to his or her genes, lifestyle and environment. National Biobank inaugurated today is yet another step towards generating Indian data and Indian remedies for Indian patient…quite in keeping with PM Modi’s Mantra of Atma Nirbhar Bharat,” he wrote.
This newly launched Biobank marks a significant stride towards building India’s own longitudinal health database and enabling personalised treatment regimens in future. This will serve as the backbone of a nationwide cohort study, collecting comprehensive genomic, lifestyle and clinical data from 10,000 individuals across India. Drawing inspiration from the UK Biobank model, the Indian version is tailored to capture the country’s unique diversity—across geography, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Researchers believe the initiative will help in early diagnosis, improve therapeutic targeting and bolster the fight against complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular ailments, and rare genetic disorders.
Addressing the scientists and researchers at IGIB, Dr Singh said, “Today, we hold the promise of a future where every Indian may receive individualised treatment tailored to their genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environment. This transition to personalised healthcare is no longer theoretical, it is becoming reality, driven by indigenous innovations”.
Speaking about the unique health challenges faced by Indians, Dr Singh pointed out the high prevalence of central obesity, which is a risk factor often underestimated. Past research has shown that seemingly lean Indians may carry disproportionate fat around their waist, underlining the need for population-specific health strategies. “Our conditions are complex and deeply heterogeneous. This is where the Biobank becomes vital—it allows us to decode that complexity,” he said.
He stressed that India’s scientific landscape is evolving rapidly, citing recent advances in quantum technology, CRISPR-based genome editing and the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
“India is no longer lagging behind, we are among the early adopters, sometimes even ahead,” he said, adding that the Biobank will complement these efforts by generating the kind of high-resolution data that can power AI-driven diagnostics and gene-guided therapies.
The Phenome India Project, under which the Biobank has been launched, is designed to be a long-term, data-rich study tracking the health trajectories of individuals over several years. It will help scientists uncover disease patterns, gene-environment interactions and response to therapies, all within the Indian context.
Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR and secretary, DSIR, termed the Biobank’s launch as a bold step toward India’s self-reliance in healthcare data saying, it’s a “baby step” with potential to evolve into a global benchmark.
