Abstract: India has taken a transformative step in advancing personalized medicine with the launch of the Phenome India National Biobank at CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB). This initiative is central to building a longitudinal health database tailored to India’s diverse population and health landscape. Inspired by the UK Biobank but designed to reflect India’s ethnic, regional, and socio-economic diversity, it aims to collect comprehensive genomic, clinical, and lifestyle data from 10,000 individuals across the country. The biobank is expected to accelerate research into complex diseases like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and rare genetic conditions, enabling early diagnosis and precision treatments suited for Indian populations.
Backed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the project positions India as a global leader in data-driven health innovation. It will support AI-powered diagnostics, CRISPR-based gene therapies, and disease pattern mapping, contributing to both public health and translational research. CSIR-IGIB, which has pioneered genomics in India, brings its extensive experience in genetic diagnostics, COVID-19 genome sequencing, and rare disease research to the initiative. With a clear focus on building indigenous, scalable solutions, the National Biobank is a major step towards healthcare self-reliance and sets the foundation for future-ready, individualized healthcare systems.
Read more: Press Release: Press Information Bureau
