Latest news with #India-developed
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
How India's biopharma industry is tackling the world's next health challenges
India has established itself as the pharmacy of the world. Supplying nearly 20% of the global generics market and 60% of the vaccine market, the country has established a strong foundation for affordable, large-scale pharmaceutical production. However, as global health challenges evolve, from infectious outbreaks to chronic lifestyle diseases, India's approach must also adapt. With non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and others now making up over 70% of global deaths, the focus shifts from just volume to precision. If India wishes to maintain its global leadership and meet its ambitious goal of reaching a $300 billion biopharmaceutical industry by 2030, it must embrace next-generation therapies, such as gene therapies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and personalised medicine. Pharma(Pixabay/Representative) Fortunately, India, with its scientific talent, robust infrastructure, and exceptional population diversity, might be the launchpad the world needs. A significant milestone in India's biotech journey came in October 2023, when the CDSCO approved the country's first homegrown CAR-T cell therapy, NexCAR19. Developed entirely in India, this therapy for leukaemia and lymphoma showed response rates comparable to global CAR-T treatments. What sets it apart is the fact that it's being made available at a fraction of the typical price, making it a landmark in affordable, advanced immuno-oncology and India's first indigenously developed gene therapy. India is also making strides in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), that is, targeted cancer drugs that combine antibodies with potent toxins. Human trials for the first India-developed ADC candidate began in 2024. Meanwhile, the private sector is investing heavily in ADC manufacturing infrastructure. This comes at the right time: the global ADC market is expected to hit $23 billion by 2030, and India is positioning itself as a competitive, low-cost developer in this high-growth space. When it comes to precision medicine, India offers a uniquely rich landscape. With 1.4 billion people spanning diverse genetic, ethnic, and environmental backgrounds, it provides an ideal setting for testing and refining personalised therapies. The country also faces a dual burden of disease: persistent infectious threats like tuberculosis, accounting for 26–27% of global cases, alongside a rising tide of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This diversity creates a robust, varied patient pool for clinical trials and real-world evidence studies. It's exactly what precision medicine needs: treatments that work not just in ideal conditions but in complex, real-world settings. Geographic and climatic variation, from the Himalayas to the coastal tropics, further adds to India's advantage. Significant strides in these arenas have been made possible due to active policy impetus. A cornerstone of India's biopharma push is the National Biopharma Mission, backed by ~$250 million from Indian and World Bank support. It enabled the country's first CAR-T trials and established a GMP-grade viral vector facility, fostering industry-academia collaboration and seeding a thriving biotech startup ecosystem. The government's ₹15,000 crore PLI scheme for the pharmaceutical industry is driving domestic production of complex biologics, vaccines, and high-value drugs. Covering 68 biopharma products and 157 priority drugs, it has approved 55 projects and already catalyzed over ₹30,600 crore in investment and ₹1.83 lakh crore in output by September 2024. The initiative aims to reduce India's import dependence and position the country as a global hub for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is building a rich, anonymised health data backbone, enabling real-world evidence and post-market surveillance, and laying the foundation for precision medicine at a population scale. As DBT notes, India's genomic diversity is as varied as its culture or cuisine. Leveraging this scientifically will help address diseases that disproportionately affect Indian and developing-country populations. To this end, India is already scaling its genomic science to the population level. The Genome India Project has already sequenced 10,000 genomes from 83 ethno-linguistic groups and, as of January 2025, made this dataset publicly available. The government now targets 10 million genomes, supported by allied programs like CSIR's IndiGen and ICMR's National Genomics Core, which together are building reference variants for Indian populations. This genomic trove, paired with extensive patient registries, positions the country as a future hub for precision medicine and pharmacogenomics tailored to its uniquely diverse population. Despite strong momentum, India's biopharma industry must address a few critical roadblocks to realise its potential in advanced therapeutics fully. First, the regulatory framework needs to be strengthened. While CDSCO has deep experience with generics and vaccines, clear pathways for novel biologics, gene therapies, and precision medicine are still evolving. To this end, India must develop science-led, globally aligned regulatory guidelines with dedicated review pathways for advanced therapies, similar to the US FDA's breakthrough designation. Second, funding for innovation remains a bottleneck. Between 2013 and 2022, Indian biotech firms raised just $5 billion in venture capital, compared to $57 billion by U.S. biotech companies in 2023 alone. The government has tried to fill this gap through BIRAC grants and incubators and has recently proposed a Research-Linked Incentive (RLI) scheme to reward private R&D investments. Third, there is a talent shortage in high-end biopharma R&D and biomanufacturing. India's biopharma talent resilience score dropped from 6.3 in 2021 to 5.6 in 2023, and nearly half of pharma executives report difficulty hiring for critical roles. There is an immediate need to invest in specialised skill development programs for biologics, data science, and regulatory science to bridge this gap. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, once said: 'Health is a human right. No one should get sick or die just because they are poor or because they cannot access the care they need.' India has the potential to turn that principle into practice by making the next generation of therapies not only practical but also accessible and affordable. If it succeeds, India won't just lead the biopharma race; it will redefine who gets to benefit from the future of medicine. This article is authored by Ankush Kapoor, co-founder and CEO, PharmNXT Biotech.
The Wire
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Wire
India Ushers in a New Era of Surgical Innovation with World's First Long-Distance Robotic Bariatric Telesurgery
Renowned surgeon Dr. Mohit Bhandari performs groundbreaking remote procedure across 850 km between Gurugram and Indore Gurugram, Haryana, India -- Dr. Mohit Bhandari, President of IRCAD India and a pioneer among bariatric and robotic surgeons successfully completed the world's first long-distance robotic bariatric telesurgery, a milestone that redefines the future of global surgical care and access. Operating from a robotic console in Gurugram, Dr. Bhandari conducted a complex gastric bypass on a patient located more than 850 kilometers away in Indore—executed with zero perceptible lag and full surgical precision. The procedure was performed using the SSI Mantra M3 system, a next-generation, India-developed robotic surgery platform. This landmark achievement not only highlights India's rapidly advancing capabilities in medical robotics and digital health but also establishes new global standards for remote surgical care in high-complexity domains. This landmark operation marks the first documented case of long-distance robotic bariatric telesurgery between two major Indian cities, setting a new precedent for remote surgery in high-complexity fields. It highlights India's fast-growing leadership in medical robotics, innovation, and digital health. Dr. Bhandari, who has performed over 30,000 bariatric and metabolic procedures, Asia-Pacific's one of the most well-known bariatric surgeonsin this speciality. He introduced robotic bariatric surgery to India and was the first Indian surgeon to perform a single-anastomosis duodenal-ileal switch. Most recently, he was honored with the International Surgeon Award at the ASMBS Global Congress in Washington D.C. (June 2025)—further reinforcing his reputation as a trailblazer in surgical innovation. Commenting on the same Dr. Mohit Bhandari said: "This success is a testament to the transformative potential of robotic telesurgery in revolutionizing surgical access, enabling expert surgeons to operate across geographies in real time, and seamlessly bridging urban and regional care centers. It's a powerful example of how we can democratize access to surgical expertise, not just across India, but globally." This milestone is more than a technical triumph—it signals a fundamental shift in how advanced surgical care can be delivered: • Bridging the urban-rural divide by enabling expert surgeons to operate across geographies • Improving patient outcomes by reducing time-to-treatment in remote areas • Scaling surgical expertise through technology-driven models of care • Creating global benchmarks in safe and precise telesurgery To View the Image, Click on the Link Below: Dr. Bhandari conducting the robotic bariatric telesurgery (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). This is an auto-published feed from PTI with no editorial input from The Wire.
Business Upturn
16-07-2025
- Health
- Business Upturn
India Ushers in a New Era of Surgical Innovation with World's First Long-Distance Robotic Bariatric Telesurgery
Dr. Mohit Bhandari, President of IRCAD India and a pioneer among bariatric and robotic surgeons successfully completed the world's first long-distance robotic bariatric telesurgery, a milestone that redefines the future of global surgical care and access. Business Wire India Dr. Mohit Bhandari, President of IRCAD India and a pioneer among bariatric and robotic surgeons successfully completed the world's first long-distance robotic bariatric telesurgery, a milestone that redefines the future of global surgical care and access. Operating from a robotic console in Gurugram, Dr. Bhandari conducted a complex gastric bypass on a patient located more than 850 kilometers away in Indore—executed with zero perceptible lag and full surgical precision. The procedure was performed using the SSI Mantra M3 system, a next-generation, India-developed robotic surgery platform. This landmark achievement not only highlights India's rapidly advancing capabilities in medical robotics and digital health but also establishes new global standards for remote surgical care in high-complexity domains. This landmark operation marks the first documented case of long-distance robotic bariatric telesurgery between two major Indian cities, setting a new precedent for remote surgery in high-complexity fields. It highlights India's fast-growing leadership in medical robotics, innovation, and digital health. Dr. Bhandari, who has performed over 30,000 bariatric and metabolic procedures, Asia-Pacific's one of the most well-known bariatric surgeons in this speciality . He introduced robotic bariatric surgery to India and was the first Indian surgeon to perform a single-anastomosis duodenal-ileal switch. Most recently, he was honored with the International Surgeon Award at the ASMBS Global Congress in Washington D.C. (June 2025)—further reinforcing his reputation as a trailblazer in surgical innovation. Commenting on the same Dr. Mohit Bhandari said: "This success is a testament to the transformative potential of robotic telesurgery in revolutionizing surgical access, enabling expert surgeons to operate across geographies in real time, and seamlessly bridging urban and regional care centers. It's a powerful example of how we can democratize access to surgical expertise, not just across India, but globally." This milestone is more than a technical triumph—it signals a fundamental shift in how advanced surgical care can be delivered: Bridging the urban-rural divide by enabling expert surgeons to operate across geographies Improving patient outcomes by reducing time-to-treatment in remote areas Scaling surgical expertise through technology-driven models of care Creating global benchmarks in safe and precise telesurgery Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. Business Upturn take no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
News18
02-07-2025
- Business
- News18
After PM's 'Tech Sovereignty' Push, MeitY To Launch 15 AI Models In Health, Agriculture Soon
Last Updated: A senior officer said the AI apps are undergoing testing and customisation for regional and vernacular integration, with deployment expected in phases starting later this year The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reached the final evaluation stage of rolling out around 15 India-developed foundational Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-powered applications for several ministries and departments spanning agriculture, healthcare, and education, News18 has learnt. The development follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong pitch for technological sovereignty and homegrown AI models during a series of meetings with the secretariat. The LLM models, which were approved by the government a few months ago, are now going to be integrated into the public-facing websites, adding an AI-driven edge to administration and services. These homegrown models, which are part of the government's push to reduce dependency on global AI giants, are being fine-tuned to address critical sectors such as crop advisory, medical diagnostics, and adaptive learning for students across sectors and regions. A senior officer, who is involved in the process, confirms that the AI apps are now undergoing rigorous testing and customisation for several regional and vernacular integration, with deployment expected in phases starting later this year. 'India will not just consume AI. Instead, it will build its own foundation models tailored for Indian needs. All AI-driven platforms or applications will have 22 language translation options to fit into India's diverse culture and society," a senior MeitY official said, adding that the model backbone and core features have been created mostly by Indian technology. The upcoming models will include a range of AI-powered solutions designed to enhance public services across key sectors, especially for the rural hinterland. In rural healthcare, advanced AI tools will assist in the accessible and early diagnosis of diseases, helping to bridge the gap in medical access and timely intervention. The agri-tech platforms will build in predictive analytics to support farmers with intelligent irrigation planning, real-time weather data and pest alerts, along with detailed soil data analysis, enabling more efficient and sustainable farming practices. Additionally, the education sector will benefit from LLM-driven content generators and vernacular tutoring assistants, offering personalised learning materials and support in regional languages to improve accessibility and engagement across diverse student populations. This move is seen as a direct response to the Modi government's vision of making India tech-reliant, tech-resilient and self-sufficient, especially amid growing concerns over data security and algorithmic bias in Western LLMs. 'In all meetings, the PM always prodded us to build something which can be seen as a contribution of Bharat to the global technology sector," said a senior IAS officer. The project is also aligned with India's broader AI stack strategy, which includes building indigenous computer infrastructure and open-source LLMs trained on Indian languages and datasets. According to sources, the apps are in the penultimate validation phase and will be demonstrated internally before public rollout. First Published: July 02, 2025, 09:50 IST
