India Launches Largest-Ever Pregnancy Study to Tackle Preterm Births with AI: Dr Jitendra Singh

In a landmark step towards advancing maternal and child healthcare, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced that India's largest pregnancy cohort study—covering 12,000 women under the GARBH-INi initiative—is leveraging artificial intelligence and indigenous research to combat preterm births, a leading cause of neonatal mortality and long-term health complications.

Addressing a high-level programme on "Disseminating Learnings and Outcomes of GARBH-INi" at the India Habitat Centre, the Minister highlighted the initiative as a pioneering effort that integrates AI, clinical research, and biotechnology to deliver personalised and predictive healthcare solutions.

Addressing a Critical Public Health Challenge

India accounts for a significant proportion of global preterm births, making it imperative to develop solutions tailored to its demographic and healthcare realities. Dr Jitendra Singh emphasised that GARBH-INi (Interdisciplinary Group for Advanced Research on Birth Outcomes), led by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), represents a comprehensive, data-driven approach to this challenge.

"This initiative combines clinical epidemiology, multi-omics biomarkers, and artificial intelligence to create predictive models suited to Indian conditions," he said.

Massive Dataset: Foundation for AI-Driven Innovation

The programme has already achieved significant scale and depth:

• 12,000 pregnant women enrolled—one of South Asia's largest cohorts

• Over 1.6 million biospecimens collected and analysed

• More than 1 million ultrasound images compiled

This extensive dataset forms a robust foundation for developing AI-powered diagnostic and predictive tools.

Breakthrough Outcomes and Indigenous Innovations

The GARBH-INi initiative has yielded several key scientific and technological advancements:

• AI-based pregnancy dating models tailored for Indian populations

• Identification of microbiome-based predictors of preterm birth

• Development of rapid diagnostic tools for early detection

• Discovery of genetic markers for risk assessment

These innovations aim to enable early intervention, reduce neonatal mortality, and improve long-term health outcomes.

National Biorepository and Open Data Platform

A major milestone of the programme is the creation of a national biorepository, alongside the launch of the GARBH-INi-DRISHTI data-sharing platform, which will:

• Facilitate wider access for researchers

• Enable collaborative scientific studies

• Contribute to global research publications

The Minister also released a comprehensive compendium documenting the initiative's findings and impact.

Industry Partnerships to Accelerate Deployment

The event also marked key technology transfer and collaboration milestones:

• Transfer of microbiome-based biotherapeutics technology to Sundyota Numandis Probioceuticals Pvt. Ltd.

• Letters of Intent signed with DOTO Health Pvt. Ltd. and Qure.ai Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

• Focus on AI-enabled ultrasound reporting and risk stratification platforms under the GARBH-INi Anandi Maa initiative

These partnerships aim to translate research into scalable healthcare solutions.

Maternal Health Central to India@2047 Vision

Dr. Jitendra Singh stressed that improving maternal and child health is critical to India's long-term development goals.

"The children born today will define India's strength and productivity in 2047," he said, linking the initiative to the broader vision of a Viksit Bharat.

Biotechnology Driving India's Growth Story

Highlighting the rapid expansion of India's bioeconomy—from $10 billion in 2014 to nearly $195 billion today—the Minister noted that biotechnology is emerging as a key pillar of innovation.

India is increasingly gaining global recognition for its strengths in preventive and primary healthcare, driven by indigenous scientific advancements.

Experts Call for Next Phase of Expansion

Dr. V.K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, emphasised the need to transition from research to real-world application.

He called for:

• Effective utilisation of predictive tools

• Deeper data analysis

• Stronger institutional collaborations

Towards a Healthier Future

The GARBH-INi initiative represents a convergence of science, technology, and public health policy, aimed at reducing one of the most pressing healthcare challenges in India.

By harnessing AI and indigenous innovation, the programme is set to play a transformative role in ensuring healthier pregnancies, safer births, and a stronger future generation.