Sandeepp Saxena
MARKING a significant stride towards building India’s own longitudinal health database and enabling personalised treatment regimens in future, a state-of-the-art Phenome India “National Biobank” was inaugurated at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in the national Capital.
The Biobank 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 aid early diagnosis, improve therapeutic targeting, and bolster the fight against complex diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular ailments, and rare genetic disorders.
The country holds the promise of a future where every Indian may receive individualised treatment tailored to their genetic makeup, lifestyle and environment, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, said on July 6. Addressing the scientists and researchers at IGIB, Singh said, “This transition to personalised healthcare is no longer theoretical — it is becoming reality, driven by indigenous innovations.” Reflecting on the unique health challenges faced by Indians, he noted the high prevalence of central obesity, a risk factor often underestimated.
Singh highlighted past research showing 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 emphasised 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. The Biobank, he added, will complement these efforts by generating the kind of high-resolution data that can power AI-driven diagnostics and gene-guided therapies.
