Latest news with #AnuragAgrawal
News18
6 days ago
- Health
- News18
Updated Covid Vaccines Not Urgently Needed With Mild Surge: Former CSIR-IGIB Chief To News18
Last Updated: There's no need to panic, said Anurag Agrawal, as Covid-19, in its current form, is expected to stay mild for the majority Updated Covid vaccines may not be necessary at this stage, especially in a country like India, where the younger population is less vulnerable to severe outcomes, Anurag Agrawal, former director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), told News18. IGIB is a national laboratory of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). India is witnessing a Covid-19 surge, with a total of 1,010 active cases as of May 26, 2025. The highest number of active cases is in Kerala (430), followed by Maharashtra (210), Delhi (104), and Gujarat (83). 'The current rise in cases can be attributed to waning antibody levels and minor mutations in the virus's spike protein," said Agrawal. Globally, Agrawal believes the newly updated Covid-19 vaccines are not proving highly effective against emerging strains. 'While mRNA technology allows for rapid updates to match circulating variants, it remains the only platform capable of such flexibility. Other vaccine technologies take much longer to develop and distribute; by the time they are ready, the infection wave often begins to fade," said Agrawal, who is presently dean of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University. advetisement Even with mRNA, he said, there is ongoing debate about its use, hinting towards concerns ranging from long-term safety data to accessibility. 'India is currently seeing cases of the JN.1 strain. However, with a relatively younger demographic and a lower risk of severe disease, there is doubt among experts whether updating vaccines for this specific strain is worthwhile," he said. According to Agrawal, who is also head of the Koita Centre for Digital Health at Ashoka University, many people may be silent carriers of the virus, showing no symptoms. Additionally, actual case numbers could be much higher than reported, as fewer people are opting for Covid-19 testing. Despite this, he maintains that no drastic measures are required beyond surveillance and preparedness. 'The susceptibility to severe illness remains low. For those who are highly vulnerable, such as the elderly or immunocompromised, simple precautions remain the best line of defence," said Agrawal, who is a well-known physician-scientist. 'In short, the message is clear: there's no need to panic. Covid-19, in its current form, is expected to stay mild for the majority. A calm, precautionary approach is all that is needed." About the Author Himani Chandna First Published: May 31, 2025, 07:00 IST
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IPO-bound Nestasia appoints Delhivery CEO Sahil Barua to board
Home decor brand Nestasia appointed Delhivery cofounder and CEO Sahil Barua as a director on its board, as it looks to scale operations and strengthen omni-channel distribution as it prepares for a market debut, a statement said on Tuesday. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" Barua operates logistics and supply chain company Delhivery as its chief executive, and has previously been associated with Bain & Company as a consultant. He holds an bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from NIT Surathkal and a post-graduate diploma in management from IIM Bangalore. '[Sahil's] journey of building a tech-first, high-performance company from the ground up offers us a lens to reimagine scale, execution, and sustained consumer delight,' said Nestasia cofounder Anurag Agrawal. Started by Aditi Murarka and Anurag Agrawal in 2019, Nestasia offers over 7,000 products across eight categories. The company serves properties by the Taj Group, JW Marriot, Prestige Group and others. Over 2024, Nestasia expanded its offline footprint across six cities with seven exclusive brand outlets. The company plans to open 30 stores by the end of 2025. Live Events In September 2024, Nestasia had raised $8.35 million from Susquehanna Asia VC, Stellaris Venture Partners and other angel investors to expand offline stores, launch new categories, brand building and hiring. The company aims to broaden its product offerings in kitchenware, drinkware, cookware and appliances, while also launching new themed categories like Nest Baby & Kids, focusing on home products for children, among others. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
From Code to Care: How India's AI Prescription Is Rewiring Access and Affordability for Scalable Healthcare
New Delhi: Imagine a future where a villager in rural Bihar receives an accurate diagnosis through a smartphone, or a junior doctor in a government hospital in Rajasthan interprets complex scans in seconds with the help of an AI assistant. This is not science fiction—it's the very real trajectory of India's healthcare system as it accelerates into an AI-powered digital revolution. By 2030, India's healthcare landscape is poised for radical transformation. With artificial intelligence woven into the core of medical care, patients will gain faster diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and seamless access to services—often through mobile devices. Healthcare workers, in turn, will rely on intelligent systems to aid clinical decisions, minimize errors, and automate routine tasks—freeing them to focus on what truly matters: caring for patients. In an exclusive interaction with ETHealthworld, Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Dean of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University and a member of the Health AI Committee, offered insights into this impending transformation. 'The question isn't whether AI will transform Indian healthcare—it's how fast and how far this transformation can scale,' he said. Beyond Hype: Scaling Trust and Transparency Dr. Agrawal emphasised that while the potential of AI is immense, realising it will require more than just algorithms. It demands trust, transparency, targeted innovation, and a collaborative ecosystem willing to rigorously test and deploy AI solutions where they are needed most—at the grassroots. Looking ahead to 2030, he envisions a healthcare system marked by instant diagnostics, AI-assisted treatment planning, and improved access across demographics. AI will not only enhance diagnostics but also accelerate drug discovery, promote precision wellness, and reshape medical education, making it a cornerstone of future healthcare training. India's Unique Advantage: Scale + Digital Infrastructure With one of the world's largest digital infrastructures and a population increasingly connected, India has a rare opportunity—not just to adopt AI, but to set a global benchmark in its deployment. 'India's true strength lies in its scale,' Dr. Agrawal noted. 'Initiatives like Aadhaar, UPI, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) create a robust foundation to deploy AI across varied health scenarios—from urban hospitals to rural PHCs.' From Pilot to Policy: Real-World Impact Already Underway Dr. Agrawal highlighting promising pilot projects already demonstrating the real-world impact of AI, said,"AI-powered diabetic retinopathy screening, led by Mona Do (now heading the ICMR Institute for National Digital Health Research), showcased how early detection can prevent blindness. AI tools in Rajasthan are interpreting CT scans in the absence of radiologists. Chest X-ray interpretation systems are successfully screening for tuberculosis. 'These projects work best when co-developed by tech innovators and frontline healthcare professionals who understand clinical nuances,' he said. To bridge the gap between promise and execution, the government has launched the India AI Mission, inviting proposals for responsible and scalable AI healthcare models. Many of these align with national initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, and India's rising visibility on global platforms—such as the upcoming World Health Summit regional meeting—signals its ambition to lead the AI-healthcare movement. Balancing Innovation and Regulation A key challenge, however, remains: regulatory clarity, informed Dr Agarwal. While NITI Aayog is working on frameworks like the 'Ease of Doing Science' policy, Dr. Agrawal warned of the delicate balance between enabling innovation and overregulating a nascent sector. A phased rollout strategy, grounded in scientific validation and peer-reviewed results, is essential to building trust and credibility. Public-Private Synergy: The Innovation Flywheel Private investment is playing a crucial role. Homegrown startups are drawing venture capital, and global tech giants such as Microsoft and Google, along with philanthropic players like the Gates Foundation, are actively collaborating with Indian innovators. This synergy between public vision and private ingenuity is creating a thriving AI-health ecosystem. The Road Ahead India stands at the cusp of a healthcare revolution. With its unparalleled scale, digital readiness, and entrepreneurial energy, the nation has all the ingredients to lead the world in AI-driven healthcare. But success will hinge on its ability to validate innovations, regulate smartly, and collaborate across sectors to ensure AI reaches every citizen—urban or rural, rich or poor. 'If these pieces come together, India won't just transform its own healthcare system—it will become a blueprint for the world,' Dr. Agrawal concluded.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Bridging the "Valley of Death" in Bioscience: Turning Discoveries into Real-World Health Solutions
New Delhi: India has no shortage of scientific talent or discoveries in biosciences. But turning these breakthroughs into solutions that transform lives remains a systemic challenge. Bridging this gap—often called the 'valley of death'—requires more than scientific brilliance. It demands structural reform, aligned incentives, and bold experimentation. 'This is the infamous 'valley of death' in translational research,' says Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Dean of the Trivedi School of Biosciences at Ashoka University . 'It's not always a technical issue. Often, people aren't incentivised to go beyond publishing papers.' To truly cross this chasm, he argues, India must reward translational impact alongside academic publishing. 'We need to evolve institutions so that real-world outcomes matter in career progression,' Dr. Agrawal insists. 'If stepping into translation brings only red tape and no reward, no one will do it.' Systemic Fixes: Incentives, Incubators, and Innovation Missions Among his recommendations are streamlining bureaucratic processes, scaling up initiatives like the Atal Innovation Mission , and building strong incubators that support not just ideation but implementation. 'These programs are a step in the right direction,' he says, 'but they must be scaled thoughtfully to support productization and field deployment.' Academia Meets Industry: Building a Bioscience Pipeline On bridging academia and industry, Dr. Agrawal believes the solution lies in starting young. 'We must ignite passion for innovation early—before students become exam-focused and risk-averse.' At Ashoka, that vision is taking shape. The university is building an innovation centre physically integrated with the Trivedi School of Biosciences. Undergraduates are encouraged to engage with cutting-edge technologies from day one. 'Biology today is interdisciplinary. AI is the new language of biology,' he declares. Ashoka has also launched the Lodha Young Genius program, bringing high-school students—some as young as Class 9—face-to-face with leading thinkers like Nobel Laureate Paul Nurse. 'These early sparks can light lifelong fires,' Dr. Agrawal says. From Rare Disease Breakthroughs to Mainstream Health Innovation India's foray into genomics gained traction through the diagnosis of pediatric rare diseases using next-generation sequencing (NGS). But Dr. Agrawal sees the future in expanding these capabilities to more prevalent challenges like non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially cancer. 'In oncology, genomic profiling helps personalise therapies using biomarkers like EGFR or ALK mutations,' he explains. However, such innovations remain largely confined to elite institutions due to cost barriers. That's changing. Companies like Karkinos healthcare and Strand Life Sciences , now backed by Reliance, are striving to democratise genomic diagnostics . 'If Reliance can do for genomics what it did for telecom with Jio, we may finally see precision oncology become mainstream,' he notes. Genomic Surveillance: A Public Good, Not a Private Gamble The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of genomic surveillance, but it also exposed gaps. 'If a novel pathogen emerges in a district hospital, are we positioned to catch it early? Not yet,' says Dr. Agrawal. Platforms like IDSP, IHIP, and INSACOG are steps forward, but genomic surveillance remains overly centralized and research-focused. To be effective, it must be embedded in public health systems, with strong federal coordination. 'Surveillance is a public good,' he stresses. 'It cannot be left to the private sector. The government must lead—especially in a country where health is a state subject but surveillance is centrally governed.' Precision Medicine—Broadening the Lens Dr Agrawal urges a more inclusive understanding of precision medicine . 'Even a continuous glucose monitor guiding a diabetic's diet is precision health,' he says. In this broader view, AI, mobile tech, and wearable devices can bring personalised care to the masses. However, a recurring bottleneck remains: access to targeted therapies. 'Genomic diagnostics mean little without affordable access to the corresponding drugs,' he warns. India must align diagnostics with treatment availability, regulatory flexibility, and pricing reforms. Commenting on what should the National Research Foundation prioritise?, Dr Agarwal informed that the NRF could play a transformative role—if it focuses on people, not just infrastructure. 'Fund curiosity. Fund mentorship. Don't micromanage outcomes,' Dr. Agrawal advises. 'If we invest in passionate researchers and capable institutions, the impact will follow.' The Road Ahead: From Talent to Translation India's aspirations in genomics and health innovation are not limited by scientific capability—they're constrained by outdated systems. To unlock the full potential of Indian biosciences, Dr. Agrawal calls for a culture that rewards real-world outcomes, fosters interdisciplinary education, and supports translation at every step. 'Ashoka University may be small, but we can be a lab for the country—where we test bold ideas that scale,' he says. 'India has the talent and the tech. Now, we need to align incentives and invest in the right structures. Only then can we truly democratise health innovation.'
