Biocon Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Biocon Group, in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), commemorated World Head & Neck Cancer Day with 6th edition of Oral Cancer Task Force (OCTF) Annual Meeting on July 25-26, 2025 at the IISc campus.

The two-day event focused on the theme of 'Ideate, Innovate, and Implement' and released the synopsis of a white paper on oral cancer elimination in India.

This year, the OCTF focused on preparing a white paper on Oral Cancer Elimination in India and updating its annual consensus guidelines. This white paper, developed with expert inputs from across the globe, aims to inform and influence policy decisions in a meaningful way.

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon Group said, “Our deepened partnership with IISc marks a powerful convergence of scientific excellence and social commitment. With IISc leading the next phase of OCTF, we are creating an innovation ecosystem focused on AI-led diagnostics, bioinformatics, and accessible technologies tailored to India and other LMICs.”

Dr. Anupama Shetty, Mission Director, Biocon Foundation said, “For over a decade, Biocon Foundation has driven an innovation- and research-led oral cancer surveillance program. Through strategic collaborations and under the aegis of the Oral Cancer Task Force, we have built a robust evidence base for early detection and prevention. The transition of OCTF to a Secretariat led by the Indian Institute of Science will harness IISc’s scientific depth and technical capabilities to scale this mission with greater precision and impact. OCTF’s framework for oral cancer elimination is a clarion call to action—adding urgency and momentum to our collective efforts.”

From this year onwards the IISc will serve as the secretariat for OCTF, leading the initiative to reduce late-stage oral cancer diagnoses. This collaborative effort aims to leverage advanced technologies to lower the overall burden of oral cancer in India. A smart phone-based AI-enabled oral cancer screening tool has been developed recently with support from the Ministry of Education, Kotak IISc AI-ML Centre, Centre for Networked Intelligence, and The AI Collective partners.

Prof. Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of EECS, IISc said, “Screening can help detect suspicious oral lesions early. IISc, in collaboration with clinical, technical, and government partners, is working to develop and implement such tools in line with the OCTF white paper.”