India has launched its first National Biobank, a major step towards advancing personalized healthcare. Inaugurated by Union Science & Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh at CSIR-IGIB, New Delhi, the Phenome India National Biobank aims to create a vast health database by collecting genomic, clinical, and lifestyle data from 10,000 individuals across diverse regions and communities. Modeled on the UK Biobank but customized for India’s unique genetic and socio-economic diversity, it will support early disease diagnosis, personalized treatments, and better management of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and rare genetic disorders.
Dr. Singh emphasized that India’s health challenges, such as hidden central obesity, require population-specific solutions. He highlighted that with this Biobank, India moves closer to personalized treatments based on one’s genetic makeup and environment. The Biobank will generate high-quality data to drive AI-based diagnostics and gene-targeted therapies.
CSIR Director General Dr. N. Kalaiselvi called the initiative a step towards healthcare self-reliance, potentially putting India on par with global data giants. IGIB Director Dr. Souvik Maiti highlighted IGIB’s genomic leadership, including work on rare disease diagnostics, Covid-19 genome sequencing, and indigenous CRISPR therapies. The Biobank, part of the long-term Phenome India project, will help decode disease patterns and treatment responses specific to Indian populations.
