On the eve of Doctors’ Day, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, said precision medicine and personalised healthcare are set to redefine the future of medical practice, with India steadily developing indigenous solutions to global health challenges through genomics, gene therapy, nuclear medicine and emerging technologies.
Addressing a special Doctors’ Day Conclave on Saturday, the Minister said India’s unique genetic diversity, expanding scientific ecosystem and technological advancements provide an unprecedented opportunity to develop affordable, patient-centric healthcare solutions with global relevance.
Singh said healthcare is entering a transformative phase in which treatment will increasingly be tailored to an individual’s genetic profile, lifestyle and environmental factors. Such an approach, he noted, would enable more accurate diagnosis, targeted therapies and improved patient outcomes.
Highlighting the country’s progress in genomics, the Minister said the Genome India Mission has completed genome sequencing of more than 10,000 individuals and is laying the foundation for one of the world’s largest genomic databases. The initiative, he said, will accelerate research on genetic disorders, rare diseases and personalised therapies while advancing precision medicine in India.
Referring to recent scientific achievements, Singh said Indian researchers have successfully demonstrated gene therapy for haemophilia, marking a significant milestone in indigenous medical innovation. He added that gene therapy and nuclear medicine are emerging as promising fields that will transform disease management through highly targeted treatments.
The Minister also highlighted the growing role of Artificial Intelligence across the healthcare ecosystem. AI, he said, is enhancing genome sequencing, biomedical research, disease diagnosis, medical education and telemedicine by enabling faster analysis of complex medical data and improving clinical decision-making. Technology-enabled healthcare models are also expanding access to specialist care in remote regions.
Singh said India’s research ecosystem has been strengthened through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, which promotes multidisciplinary research by integrating modern science with social sciences, humanities and traditional knowledge systems. He added that policy reforms have also opened new opportunities for collaboration among government institutions, academia and the private sector in advanced areas such as nuclear medicine.
Highlighting India’s growing pharmaceutical capabilities, the Minister said the country has moved beyond manufacturing medicines developed elsewhere and is increasingly producing new drugs through indigenous research and innovation. He cited the development of India’s first indigenously researched antibiotics for drug-resistant infections as evidence of the country’s expanding scientific capabilities.
Singh also underlined the contribution of initiatives such as the BioE3 Policy and the Bio-RIDE Mission in strengthening biotechnology research, bio-manufacturing and healthcare innovation through partnerships among research institutions, academia, startups and industry. He noted that India’s medical devices sector is also producing globally competitive technologies that support affordable healthcare.
Describing Ayushman Bharat as one of the world’s largest public health assurance programmes, the Minister said the scheme, along with the expansion of medical colleges, digital health infrastructure and telemedicine services, is improving access to quality healthcare across the country.
Calling preventive healthcare the next major national priority, Singh said the rising burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and fatty liver disease, particularly among younger people, underscores the need for early screening, public awareness and timely intervention.
