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India Inaugurates Phenome India ‘National Biobank’ to Propel Personalized Healthcare and Genomic Research.

Science and Technology | Dated: 07 Jul 2025

On July 6, 2025, Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh launched India’s first National Biobank—a centralised genomic and health database—at CSIR‑IGIB in New Delhi. This initiative under the Phenome India Project aims to revolutionize healthcare by capturing diverse population data for precision medicine.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The National Biobank, built by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR‑IGIB), 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 India’s 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).

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) During the launch, Dr. Singh emphasized India’s 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 “baby step” toward India becoming a global leader in personalised healthcare infrastructure. Director Dr. Souvik Maiti highlighted IGIB’s legacy—decoding the Indian genome, COVID‑19 sequencing, developing 300+ rare disease diagnostics, and ongoing CRISPR therapies for conditions like sickle-cell anemia.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Which Union Minister recently launched India’s first National Biobank under the Phenome India project?

Correct Answer: Dr. Jitendra Singh

🚀 Quick Recap: