Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said India is entering a transformative era of personalised and precision medicine, powered by genomics, artificial intelligence and advanced biotechnology, which will enable early detection of diseases and targeted treatment even before symptoms appear.
Addressing the NXT Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Singh said India’s vast genetic diversity and expanding genomic databases are opening new opportunities for predictive healthcare, precision diagnostics and customised treatment protocols.
Genome research gaining momentum
Highlighting India’s genomic research efforts, the minister said the country’s large genetic pool – spanning 4,000 to 5,000 distinct communities – provides a unique advantage in advancing genetic studies.
He noted that under the Genome India Project, genome sequencing of around 10,000 individuals has already been completed, with a long-term goal of sequencing one million genomes to strengthen preventive healthcare and disease prediction.
Singh said the future of medicine will rely heavily on multi-omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, integrated with artificial intelligence to design personalised prescriptions based on a patient’s genetic profile, lifestyle and environmental factors.
Biotechnology to drive next industrial revolution
The minister said biotechnology is expected to drive the next industrial revolution, much like the role played by information technology in the past.
He highlighted the government’s BioE3 Policy – Biotechnology for Economy, Employment and Environment – which aims to accelerate innovation in biomanufacturing and position India as a global leader in the sector.
Singh said India has already emerged as a major biomanufacturing hub, ranking among the top players globally and third in the Asia-Pacific region. Initiatives such as biofoundries, biomanufacturing clusters and BioNEST incubators are helping nurture biotechnology startups and scale innovations.
Advances in vaccines and gene therapy
The minister also highlighted India’s progress in genetically driven vaccines and therapies. He recalled that India developed the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID-19 and an indigenous vaccine against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) for cervical cancer prevention.
Referring to recent breakthroughs, Singh said Indian scientists have conducted gene therapy-based treatment trials for haemophilia, demonstrating the country’s growing strength in genetic research.
He also emphasised the role of artificial intelligence in improving early diagnosis of diseases such as breast cancer, noting that AI-based thermal imaging technologies can bring diagnostic services to remote areas through mobile health units.
Expanding research in space and nuclear medicine
Singh said India is also advancing research in emerging fields such as space medicine, including collaborations between the Indian Space Research Organisation and All India Institute of Medical Sciences to study biological responses in microgravity and their potential applications in healthcare.
He also referred to the proposed SHANTI Act, which opens India’s nuclear sector to private participation, enabling new investments in nuclear technologies and nuclear medicine research.
The minister said these reforms will accelerate the development of advanced treatments for diseases such as acute lymphoid leukemia and fatty liver disease while encouraging innovation from startups and private companies.
India emerging as global healthcare destination
Singh added that India is increasingly being recognised as a cost-effective global healthcare destination, supported by strong scientific research, advanced medical infrastructure and large-scale health data systems.
He expressed confidence that India’s scientific talent, expanding biotechnology ecosystem and forward-looking policies will enable the country to play a leading role in future advances in precision medicine and healthcare innovation.
