Though India is the land of 1.3 billion human genomes and the subcontinent contributes around 20% of the world's population, the DNA sequences of Indian people make up around 0.2% of global genetic databases. A lot has to be achieved.

There has been path-breaking work in using genomics. Few hospitals have been using genetic information to help patients. But all of this activity is on a much smaller scale. What is needed is a coherent push at the national level that involves government, academic institutions, the existing health-care industry, the IT industry and the nascent biotechnology industry.

• What implications do developments like new gene-editing techniques, such as CRISPR, have for India and are there deliberate choices that would shape the coming future more advantageously?
• To gain from the genomics revolution, India needs to collect information about the genetics of its population, train manpower capable of interpreting it, fully sequenced individual genomes along with medical histories for the individuals who volunteer for this effort.Are there strengths that India can bring to this task?
• What are some of the key developments hapening other than the human genome side?
• What are the tools and technologies that are ready for harnessing the developments?

A sustainable approach for cleaner environment is the order of the day. Having said, this is a tough ask considering the diverse areas of significance from BioEnergy to Green Industrial Biotech to Pure water and air.

Biofuels and Green Industrial biotech can help solve climate change. Further, an integrated approach is needed for sustainable developments.

• What is India’s technology pipeline?
• How can biotechnology address the Sustainability issues? And is India committed?
• What are some of the developments and are they enough?
• Do we have enough enzyme technologies that customers can use in their production and manufacturing processes to conserve water, reduce toxicity, etc?

India is fast developing its Medtech capabilities that have begun to gain global attention. With almost 80% of the medical devices imported from other countries India has an interesting journey ahead.

CSIR’s Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) has a set of over 27 genetics tests it has developed over the years that can be commercialized. There are various other institutes which have worked on various technologies from healthcare to food testing.

This panel will discuss:

• What is the current diagnostics, medtech, and other testing infrastructure in India?
• Does the industry have enough tools and technologies to partner with the public sector and offer services?
• What is the current stage of development and hindrances in fast-tracking translational research?

Reports suggest that 15% of Indian population is undernourished. Nutritional security is an important aspect that needs immediate attention.

Why India needs Biotechnology to ensure food, feed, and nutrition security?

• What are the innovative biotechnological approaches that Indian Institutes and scientists are working on ?
• Are they innovative or are we still basking in the glory of the past “Green” revolution?
• What is India’s technology promise to address nutrition security?

AMR has caught worldwide attention and needs an urgent solution. With a large population and heavy disease burden India needs to redoube its efforts to safegaurd its citizens.

• What are some of the major research achievements of Indian research Institutes in the area of infectious and communicable diseases.
• How has India advanced Development and Use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Identification and Characterization of Resistant Bacteria, etc.?
• What are the promising trends? AMR has caught worldwide attention and needs an urgent solution. With a large population and heavy disease burden India needs to redoube its efforts to safegaurd its citizens.

India is fast becoming a center for Innovation hotspots. Cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and several others are supporting the start-up ecosystems. The Public sector has been a major facilitator at the National and State levels.

India’s premier institutes and scientific Institutes are taking the incubation route.

• Is it a fad or are we seeing significant changes?
• Has it changed the culture of research and entrepreneurship?
• Have the outcomes changed and more technologies available for commercialization?

NCDs are a major cause of India's disease burden. India is already the diabetic capital of the World and the situation could be similar soon in the other diseases as well.

According a recent report of ICMR NCDs and suicide have been on the rise. The report says cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, and suicide prevalences have gone up drastically.

• What is our capacity for high-quality research and development for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases?
• How can uptake and health outcomes be improved?
• What are the Technologies, designs and methods suited to LMICs – including opportunities for informatics, user-led service design in research and health policy support; biomedical technologies; new forms of data; research tools and methods.