By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 31, 2026 8:22 am
GenomeIndia, Bio-AI Hubs, IBDC and ANRF-led initiatives strengthen India's AI-enabled biotechnology ecosystem with focus on healthcare, biomanufacturing and translational research
The Government of India has significantly expanded biotechnology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled research across genomics, computational biology, bioinformatics, healthcare, medical imaging, biomanufacturing and biological data science, aligning with NITI Aayog's 'AI for All' strategy to promote inclusive economic growth and social development.
The information was shared by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
"The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has strengthened AI-driven research through multiple national programmes, including the Theoretical & Computational Biology Programme under BTISNet, which integrates biotechnology with AI, machine learning and advanced computational approaches," said Dr. Singh.
As per minister, the major milestone has been achieved under the GenomeIndia Project, which has successfully sequenced more than 10,000 Indian genomes, established a national biobank and developed genomic databases. "The government is now promoting downstream research and indigenous precision medicine applications using GenomeIndia data through AI and machine learning tools."
"To support biological data management, the department has established the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC), a national repository equipped with high-performance computing infrastructure and seven specialised biological data repositories for equitable data sharing," added Dr. Singh.
In collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the department is also implementing the AI for Ultrasound (AI for USG) programme under Grand Challenges India to improve maternal and fetal healthcare using AI-enabled ultrasound technologies.
Minister said, "The government's Bio-AI Hub initiative is strengthening AI-driven biological design, bioprocess optimisation and translational research through shared biomanufacturing infrastructure under the Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment (BioE3) programme."
As per Dr Singh, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) is supporting biotechnology and AI research through funding schemes such as the Advanced Research Grant (ARG), Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG) and National Post Doctoral Fellowship (NPDF).
"ANRF has also expanded support through its Mission for Advancement in High-impact Areas (MAHA), including the Artificial Intelligence for Science and Engineering (AI-SE) programme and the MAHA MedTech Mission to promote affordable indigenous medical technologies."
The government has strengthened collaboration among academia, research institutions, healthcare organisations, industry and startups through multi-institutional projects involving IITs, IISc, AIIMS, ICAR institutes, universities, national laboratories and industry partners.
"Collaborative platforms such as the GenomeIndia Consortium, IBDC and Bio-AI Hubs, along with ANRF's Translational Research and Innovation (ATRI) programme, are accelerating validation, commercialisation and industry adoption of research outcomes," he said.
Dr. Singh informed that initiatives have already delivered significant outcomes. "The GenomeIndia Project has completed 10,174 whole genome sequences, established a national genomic variation catalogue, created a biobank containing over 20,000 biospecimens and identified nearly 180 million genetic variants, including around 7 million previously unknown variants."
Minister also pointed out how Imaging Biobank for Cancer programme has developed a national AI-enabled repository containing more than one million radiology images and 20,000 pathology images of head and neck cancer, supporting the development of AI algorithms for precision oncology.