Biocon Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Biocon Group, in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Translational AI for Networked Universal Health Care (TANUH), commemorated World Head & Neck Cancer Day by hosting the 7th edition of the Oral Cancer Task Force (OCTF) Annual Conference on July 27–28, 2026, at the BITS Pilani, Goa Campus.

The two-day conference brought together leading oncologists, clinicians, public health experts, researchers, policymakers, artificial intelligence specialists and implementation partners to advance India's roadmap towards oral cancer elimination. 

This year's theme, ‘Integrating AI, Research, and Advocacy towards Oral Cancer Elimination,’ underscored the role of artificial intelligence, implementation research and multi-stakeholder collaboration in strengthening oral cancer prevention, early detection and access to timely care.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder & Managing Trustee, Biocon Foundation, and Convenor, OCTF, said, “India has a unique opportunity to redefine the global approach to oral cancer by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, scientific innovation, and strong public health systems.”

“Through the Oral Cancer Task Force, we are bringing together expertise across sectors to develop scalable, technology-enabled solutions that can drive early detection, improve access to timely treatment, and ultimately save lives. The goal is to ensure that these innovations reach far and wide, making quality cancer care more equitable and accessible,” added Kiran.

A key highlight of the conference was the progress made under the Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (AI-CoE), a first-of-its-kind multicentric initiative involving 28 consortium partners with IISc serving as the nodal institution.

The initiative has developed an AI-assisted, mobile phone-based white-light imaging solution that stratifies oral lesions into high- and low-risk categories, enabling early identification of oral cancer. 

The technology powers Aarogya Aarohan, an AI-enabled mobile application currently deployed across Public Health Centres in Goa. Designed for use by frontline healthcare workers, the application can operate on low-cost smartphones, function offline in low-connectivity settings and support referral workflows across different levels of the healthcare system, making point-of-care screening more accessible and scalable.

The conference also unveiled the 2026 update to the Indian Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines for Head & Neck Cancer, developed under the aegis of OCTF. 

Presented by Dr Kumar Prabhash, the updated guidelines reflect the latest clinical evidence and continue OCTF's efforts to standardise evidence-based management of head and neck cancers across India. The initiative is coordinated by Dr Neera Gupta, Vice President – Clinical Development & Medical Affairs, Immuneel Therapeutics, and the updated guidelines will continue to be published in the Journal of Cancer Research and Statistics and Treatment.

The conference brought together experts from Tata Memorial Hospital, IISc, the Government of Goa, Biocon Foundation and leading academic, clinical and public health institutions from India and abroad. 

Keynote speakers and panellists included Dr Srinath Reddy, Dr Shekhar Salkar, Dr Guruprasad Naik, Dr Upendra Bhojani, Dr Sumirtha Gandhi, representatives from the Department of Health Services, Government of Goa, Prof Paturu Kondaiah, Dr Anupama Shetty, Dr Manisha Khorate, Dr Anupama Borkar, Prof Kunal Korgaonkar, Dr Praveen Birur and several other national and international experts.