Ashoka University has inaugurated the Dr. Ajit Varma Centre for Planetary Health, describing it as India's first transdisciplinary centre dedicated to advancing research and innovation at the intersection of environmental change and human health.

Established with the support of Dr. Amit Varma, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Quadria Capital and Co-founder of HealthQuad, the Centre has been named in memory of his father, Dr. Ajit Varma. The inauguration was attended by the university's leadership and members of the Varma family.

The Centre will focus on five strategic pillars—Research and Discovery, Academics and Capacity Building, Innovation Hub and Venture Studio, Industry and Ecosystem Partnerships, and Policy Engagement. Its research agenda will address interconnected challenges spanning climate and health systems, pollution and exposure science, agroecology, marine ecosystems and emerging infectious diseases.

Beyond supporting the Centre's establishment, Dr. Amit Varma will continue his association with Ashoka University as a Trustee and Advisor to the Trivedi School of Biosciences, where he will help strengthen the university's research ecosystem and foster collaborations across academia, industry and the innovation landscape.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Amit Varma said, "The establishment of the Dr. Ajit Varma Centre for Planetary Health is deeply meaningful to me, both personally and professionally. Named in memory of my father, the Centre brings to life a shared vision of advancing science to address some of the most pressing and interconnected challenges of recent times.”

The Centre will function under the Trivedi School of Biosciences and collaborate with Ashoka University's existing research initiatives, including the Centre for Health Analytics Research Trends (CHART), the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability (3CS) and the Koita Centre for Digital Health (KCDH-A). 

Anurag Agrawal, Dean of BioSciences and Health Research at the Trivedi School of Biosciences and Head of the Koita Centre for Digital Health, said, "By integrating expertise across biology, medicine, engineering, data science, economics and behavioural sciences, this Centre will enable research that not only deepens scientific understanding but also creates pathways to build innovative, practical solutions to enable healthier communities and ecosystems," he said.

Welcoming the initiative, Ashish Dhawan, Founding Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at Ashoka University, said the Centre would strengthen the university's research ecosystem and prepare students to address complex environmental and health challenges through interdisciplinary learning.

Looking ahead, Poornima Prabhakaran, Director of the Centre, said its five-year roadmap includes advancing transdisciplinary research in climate change, exposomics and related fields, organising innovation hackathons and regional workshops.