NCBS and ICTS Partner to Establish National AI Centre for Biotech Innovation

• NCBS and ICTS team up to create CALIBRE, a national AI-biology hub.
• Red India Consulting donates Rs 25 crore to fund the initiative.
• The centre will develop AI tools, train researchers, and support innovation.

In a major push to merge artificial intelligence with biological science, the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS) have joined forces to launch the Centre for Artificial Learning and Intelligence for Biological Research and Education (CALIBRE).

The two institutes, both part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) network, signed an agreement on Wednesday. The initiative received a Rs 25 crore contribution from Reed India Consulting LLP, which will help build infrastructure, support research, and train talent in AI-driven biology.

CALIBRE aims to become a national hub for AI and biology, bridging the gap between data science and life sciences. It will focus on developing context-specific AI tools suited for India’s biodiversity, climate, and healthcare challenges.

Vishal Gupta, founder of Reed India Consulting LLP, said the centre will be “a national hub where biological insight meets AI innovation”.

The centre will work on neuromorphic, brain-inspired AI systems, create Chair Professorships, and offer Research Travel Fellowships to encourage collaboration and learning.

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Prof. L.S. Shashidhara, Director of NCBS, said the partnership will help researchers apply AI across various biological scales, from molecules to ecosystems, driving solutions for health, agriculture, and ecology.

With CALIBRE, India takes a significant step toward building a strong AI-biology ecosystem that could power the next wave of scientific discovery.