AIIMS Jammu becomes first Government Hospital to offer Pan-India Genomic Reports at affordable rates

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a landmark development for precision medicine in India, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu has become the first government-run hospital in the country to provide state-of-the-art genomic testing services at affordable rates to patients nationwide.

The initiative is part of the AIIMS Jammu-4baseCare Centre for Advanced Genomics and Precision Medicine, inaugurated on February 2, 2025, by Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, with support from Infosys. In just a few months, the Centre has delivered 125 genomic reports across more than 15 cancer types including lung, breast, ovarian, and stomach cancers. Patients were referred by leading institutions such as Apollo Hospital in Karnataka, AIIMS Delhi and Bhubaneswar, Fortis Hospital in Delhi, and SMS Hospital in Jaipur.
Traditionally, genomic tests were sent abroad at costs ranging between ?3-5 lakh, while domestic providers charged between ?1.5-2.5 lakh. AIIMS Jammu has reduced this cost to nearly one-fourth, making precision oncology more accessible to families across India. At the core of this initiative is Indiegene, India’s first population-specific cancer gene panel, a Made in India DeepTech innovation that tailors results to the unique genetic makeup of Indian patients.
Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Gupta, Executive Director & CEO, AIIMS Jammu, said, “Our Centre is committed to expanding beyond oncology into complex diseases. We aim to provide genomics-based differential diagnosis for rare and inherited disorders, women’s health, cardiology, neurology, pediatrics, and ophthalmology-helping families overcome prolonged diagnostic journeys and access personalized care at lower costs.”
The expanded mandate of the Centre will cover women’s health through gene-carrier screening for couples, newborn testing for early detection of rare disorders, and evaluation of unexplained infertility and pregnancy loss. In neurology, the Centre will provide genetic insights into epilepsy, developmental delays, and rare neurological syndromes. In cardiology, focus will be on identifying inherited heart conditions such as cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, as well as assessing sudden cardiac arrest risk in young individuals. Pediatric care will involve diagnosing congenital anomalies, growth delays, and metabolic disorders, while ophthalmology services will include testing for inherited eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and congenital blindness.
Hitesh Goswami, Co-founder and CEO of 4baseCare Precision Health Pvt. Ltd., added, “This partnership demonstrates how Indian innovation can solve India’s health challenges while matching global standards. Precision medicine-tailored to individual genetic blueprints-is the future, and India is emerging as a leader.”
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh also underlined the significance of this initiative during the inauguration, stating, “Gene therapy promises individualized management of disease for each patient. Even if two individuals suffer from the same condition, their treatment could differ based on unique genetic susceptibilities and inherited vulnerabilities.”
With this initiative, AIIMS Jammu has set a national benchmark by combining public healthcare infrastructure, indigenous innovation, and private sector collaboration-ensuring that precision medicine reaches families across India and beyond.