India Launches National Biobank for Health Research

On July 6, 2025, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, inaugurated the National Biobank at CSIR-IGIB in New Delhi. This new facility will help in collecting health and genetic data from people across India. The aim is to improve early disease detection and make personalized treatment plans possible for every individual in the future.

India’s First National Biobank Launched

The National Biobank, launched under the Phenome India project, will store health, genetic, and lifestyle data from 10,000 people across India. The biobank is inspired by the UK Biobank, but it is specially designed to suit India’s diverse population. The data collected will help doctors and scientists understand diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart problems, and rare genetic conditions better.

While speaking at the event, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that personalized healthcare—where treatment is based on a person’s genes and lifestyle—will soon become a reality. He added that India’s own data will help create better, faster, and more effective medical solutions. The event took place at the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi.

Helping India’s Unique Health Needs

Dr. Singh highlighted that Indians face unique health challenges, such as central obesity, which is not always visible from the outside but increases health risks. He said the Biobank will help decode these hidden health risks and design better solutions suited to Indian bodies. He also spoke about the need for strong partnerships between scientists, government departments, and industry to turn research into useful products and treatments.

Advances in CRISPR and Other Research

The minister praised the CRISPR-based genome editing work being done in India, especially in treating diseases like sickle cell anaemia and liver fibrosis. He said India is no longer behind in science and is now leading in areas like quantum technology, AI, and genomic medicine. The data from the Biobank will also support future developments in these fields.

Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR, called the Biobank a “baby step” with the power to become a world leader in health research. She stressed the importance of collecting deep and detailed health data from India’s many different regions and communities. Dr. Souvik Maiti, Director of CSIR-IGIB, shared the institute’s journey in genomics and its work on women’s health, COVID-19, rare disorders, and even space biology.