Oxford Nanopore and BRIC Institutes sign Letters of Intent to establish two Centres of Excellence in genomics in India

The initiative was formalised in the presence of Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). These Centres will work across rare diseases, cancer, and infectious disease surveillance. The objective is to align with India’s public health strategies and national genomic ambitions.

The CoEs are expected to also act as platforms for education and skill development in sequencing technologies.

The first Letter of Intent, between Oxford Nanopore and BRIC-CDFD, outlines plans for collaboration in rare disease research. The partnership aims to utilise Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing platform for research, education, and clinical applications, and will facilitate the validation of the technology for the characterisation of rare genetic diseases in Indian clinical settings.

A separate agreement between Oxford Nanopore and BRIC-NIBMG involves the implementation of new genomic pipelines and multi-omics applications. The agreement covers maternal and child healthcare, including newborn screening, as well as genomic research in oral cancer. Oxford Nanopore’s platform will also be applied in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance as part of the broader One Health framework.

These initiatives are aligned with recent bilateral strategic frameworks such as the 2025 UK-India Health and Life Sciences Memorandum of Understanding and the 2024 UK-India Technology Security Initiative.

Gordon Sanghera CBE, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, said, “We are proud to collaborate with leading government institutions in India on these key initiatives. They reflect the shared ambition to drive innovation in genomics to address some of the biggest public health concerns in the country. With Oxford Nanopore’s technology already supporting a wide range of Indian research projects, these Centres of Excellence are a natural next step forward in our long-term commitment to the region.”

Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing technology is currently deployed across India in areas such as rare disease genomics, neurodegenerative disorder screening, and infectious disease surveillance. Research is also being conducted into its potential use for point-of-care diagnostics.

Professor Ullas Kolthur, Director of BRIC-CDFD, commented, “BRIC-CDFD is looking forward to collaborating with Oxford Nanopore Technologies, UK, in setting up a world-class Centre of Excellence. This collaboration, at the forefront of genomic science, will boost basic and applied sciences in the domains of rare disease discoveries, precision diagnosis and forensic biotechnology. Focusing on extensive training and skilling, the Centre will scale up BRIC-CDFD’s Skill Development Centre to empower India’s next-generation genome scientists. This partnership is poised to re-write India’s future for genomics — from the heart of Hyderabad to the globe.”

Dr Sagar Sengupta, Director of BRIC-NIBMG, added, “BRIC-NIBMG looks forward to this collaboration with Oxford Nanopore Technologies which will advance the frontiers of genomics. BRIC-NIBMG expects to make major innovations in multiple types of cancer, maternal and child health, pathogen and AMR surveillance and capacity building through the establishment of this Centre of Excellence. This initiative will leverage BRIC-NIBMG’s expertise in biomedical genomics and data science with cutting edge technologies of Oxford Nanopore and address certain major areas of public health.”

Harjinder Kang, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia and Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, said, “UK businesses are at the forefront of innovation that delivers real-world impact and Oxford Nanopore Technologies is a fitting example of this. As they expand their footprint in India with a new office in Bengaluru, I am delighted to see them engage with leading Indian institutions, supporting a number of strategic national genomic programmes. This collaboration reflects the deep commitment of both the UK and India in advancing life sciences, strengthening global health resilience, and delivering on our shared priorities under the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI), underpinned by growth across both nations.”

Oxford Nanopore Technologies has been engaged in India’s genomic ecosystem since 2017. The company’s upcoming office in Bengaluru will formalise and expand its commitment to the region through closer collaborations with researchers, clinicians, and public health institutions.