The Ministry of Science & Technology has announced a major push to blend biotechnology with artificial intelligence (AI). The move aligns with the NITI Aayog’s ‘AI for All’ strategy and aims to create an ecosystem that supports health, agriculture, and industry.
Key Developments
- Launch of the BTISNet‑driven Theoretical & Computational Biology Programme across the country.
- Support for AI‑driven cancer imaging and an imaging biobank for precision diagnostics.
- Completion of the GenomeIndia project with over 10,174 whole‑genome sequences, a catalogue of 180 million variants and a biobank of more than 20,000 biospecimens.
- Establishment of the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) featuring seven specialised data repositories.
- Collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the AI‑for‑Ultrasound programme under Grand Challenges India.
- Creation of Bio‑AI Hubs to provide shared biomanufacturing infrastructure and AI‑driven design tools.
- Funding through the ANRF via schemes such as Advanced Research Grant, Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant and the