New Delhi
India has taken a significant step towards developing an indigenous and affordable CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) with the advancement of ‘BIRSA 101’, a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at addressing a disease that disproportionately affects tribal communities across several regions of the country.
The initiative, named after tribal icon Bhagwan Birsa Munda, is emerging as a major milestone in India’s biotechnology and genomic research ecosystem, with the technology framework now being transferred to Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. for collaborative clinical and manufacturing development. CRSPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats.
The progress of the initiative was highlighted during a workshop organized at CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, on May 14 under the ongoing Janjatiya Garima Utsav 2026 celebrations. The workshop was jointly organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and CSIR-IGIB.
Participants were briefed on the phased progress of clinical trial infrastructure, regulatory processes and collaborative arrangements with premier medical and research institutions linked to the programme. Senior officials also reviewed the GMP manufacturing facility associated with the initiative and assessed the technological and research ecosystem being developed under the project.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has extended financial support of approximately Rs 3.75 crore for the initiative as part of broader efforts to strengthen research, innovation and affordable healthcare interventions focused on tribal welfare.
The workshop was held under Janjatiya Garima Utsav 2026, a month-long celebration of the Journey of Viksit Bharat inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first week of the Utsav has been dedicated to “Technology as a Development Driver”, focusing on innovation-led transformation and technological achievements accelerating tribal development and welfare.
Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, emphasized the importance of leveraging advanced scientific research and indigenous innovation to improve healthcare accessibility for tribal communities. She also stressed the need for stronger collaboration between scientific institutions and government agencies to ensure affordable last-mile healthcare delivery in underserved regions.
Souvik Maiti, Director, CSIR-IGIB, outlined the institute’s major scientific initiatives in genomics, sequencing and translational biomedical research while highlighting India’s growing capacities in precision medicine, national genome sequencing and disease genomics. His presentation included key programmes such as Ayurgenomics research, the GUaRDIAN initiative for rare genetic disorders, the Indian Breast Cancer Genome Atlas (IBCGA), PHENOME India, Indian gut microbiome studies and India’s genomic response during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Viswajanani Sattigeri, Director, CSIR-TKDL, presented ongoing work under the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) aimed at preserving and protecting India’s traditional medicinal knowledge systems, including extensive tribal knowledge traditions.
A detailed technical presentation on BIRSA 101 and CRISPR-based gene-editing technologies was delivered by Debojyoti Chakraborty, who traced the progress of the Indian initiative since 2017 and outlined efforts towards developing an indigenous and affordable therapeutic pathway for Sickle Cell Disease.
The workshop also highlighted the human impact of the disease through interactions with Sickle Cell warriors and patient advocates Gautam Dongre and Farhat Naz. Both shared their personal experiences and emphasized the need for early diagnosis, awareness generation, wider access to medicines such as Hydroxyurea and sustained healthcare support in underserved regions.
Officials said the initiative demonstrates the growing role of indigenous scientific innovation, institutional collaboration and technology-driven healthcare solutions in addressing critical healthcare challenges affecting tribal communities while advancing the vision of an inclusive, empowered and technologically driven Viksit Bharat.
PM Modi launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh on July 1, 2023. As many as 2.5 lakh children and families, mostly tribals, are affected by the Sickle Cell Disease in the country.
