NE EDUCATION BUREAU
CHENNAI, NOV 17
In a landmark moment for Indian healthcare and biotechnology, IIT Madras — in collaboration with Indian Railways Finance Corporation (IRFC) — inaugurated the nation’s first Single Cell Omics Translational (SCOT) Research Laboratory on Monday. The pioneering facility marks a decisive leap in India’s move toward precision medicine, personalised therapeutics and advanced disease diagnostics.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has partnered with the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) to establish India’s first Single Cell Omics Translational (SCOT) Research Laboratory, supported by an IRFC CSR grant of ₹10.83 crore. Inaugurated at the Department of Medical… pic.twitter.com/AGnOoIBCq7
— IIT Madras (@iitmadras) November 17, 2025
Funded through a ₹10.83-crore CSR grant from IRFC, the SCOT Lab has been established within the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology (DMST). It is designed to bridge engineering, life sciences and medicine, enabling researchers to decode diseases at a previously inaccessible, high-resolution cellular level.
- Nation’s first translational SCOT facility promises breakthroughs in early diagnosis, drug discovery and personalised medicine
- ₹10.83-cr IRFC-backed initiative to create next-gen biomedical talent and accelerate Make-in-India innovation
Breakthrough Capability for Disease Prediction and Personalised Treatment
Equipped with cutting-edge platforms for single-cell biology, the lab will power research in:
- Early disease detection and prognosis
- Precision drug screening
- Biomarker discovery
- Immune profiling
- Understanding cancer, cardiovascular, infectious, inflammatory and metabolic disorders
The SCOT facility will enable scientists to study each cell individually — a transformative shift from traditional bulk-level analysis — unlocking new pathways for next-generation, personalised treatment strategies.
A National Hub for Training Future Biomedical Leaders
Beyond research, the lab is set to become a national training centre, nurturing a new cadre of specialists in:
- Single-cell transcriptomics
- Omics-driven diagnostics
- Translational and clinical research
This will significantly strengthen India’s biomedical talent pipeline and support high-impact innovation in the healthcare ecosystem.
Leaders Emphasise Vision, Impact and National Relevance
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said the SCOT Lab will be a gamechanger for India’s healthcare innovation landscape.
He emphasised that the facility would “advance Make-in-India research in targeted therapeutics and build indigenous capability for next-generation healthcare solutions.”
Mr. Manoj Kumar Dubey, Chairman and Managing Director, IRFC, reaffirmed IRFC’s commitment to fostering scientific excellence, noting that the collaboration “strengthens India’s aspirations in precision healthcare and accelerates the translational impact of cutting-edge research.”
Senior faculty including Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam (Dean, Alumni & Corporate Relations), Prof. Boby George (Head, DMST), Prof. Krishna Kumar and Prof. Anubama Rajan — who coordinates the project — joined dignitaries at the launch.
The inauguration of the SCOT Lab positions IIT Madras at the forefront of biomedical engineering and translational research, setting the stage for India’s next wave of breakthroughs in precision medicine, health-tech innovation and patient-centric care.
