India is strengthening its focus on nanomedicine as researchers, scientists and industry representatives meet in New Delhi for the World Congress on Nanomedicine 2026, which began on September 27.
Speaking at the inaugural session at Vigyan Bhawan, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said nanomedicine could play an important role in the next generation of precision medicine and personalised healthcare.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: World Congress on Nanomedicine 2026 begins in New Delhi.
Location: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Authority/Organisation: Department of Biotechnology / Institute of Nano Medical Sciences, University of Delhi.
Action Taken: Government is supporting 210 nanomedicine R&D projects with ₹174 crore
Impact: Research is targeting precision drug delivery, cancer treatment, diagnostics, vaccines, regenerative medicine and other healthcare applications.
Nanomedicine applies nanotechnology to medical applications, working with structures at the scale of one-billionth of a metre. Its potential applications include delivering medicines to specific parts of the body, improving diagnostics and imaging, and developing new approaches to cancer treatment and regenerative medicine.
The Department of Biotechnology is currently supporting 210 nanomedicine R&D projects with financial assistance of ₹174 crore, according to the minister.
The projects cover areas including targeted drug delivery, cancer nanomedicine, infectious-disease treatment, nucleic-acid and vaccine delivery, nano-diagnostics and imaging, regenerative medicine, wound healing, nanotoxicology and regulatory science.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
Nanomedicine could change how certain medicines are delivered and how some diseases are diagnosed and treated. For India, the scale of government-supported research also points to an effort to develop domestic capabilities in an emerging healthcare technology rather than relying only on imported solutions. At the same time, many nanomedicine applications remain under research and development. Their eventual clinical use depends on scientific validation, safety assessment, regulatory approval and successful translation into medical practice.
Among the research areas highlighted at the event were oral insulin nanoparticles, breast-cancer nanobots, precision nanoinjection and targeted breast-cancer nanomedicine.
The minister said nanotechnology could help address some of the challenges associated with delivering medicines at the cellular level. He also emphasised that advanced technologies such as nanotechnology and artificial intelligence should complement doctors' clinical judgement rather than replace it.
The World Congress, hosted by the Institute of Nano Medical Sciences at the University of Delhi, has brought together more than 2,000 participants, including scientists and young researchers. Nobel laureate Prof. Roger D. Kornberg is chairing the Congress, while Nobel laureate Prof. T. M. S. Chang is its honorary president.
The Congress is scheduled from September 27 to September 30 in New Delhi and covers themes including targeted drug delivery, nanomedicine in cancer treatment, precision nanomedicine, nanobiosensors, medical devices and AI applications in nanomedicine.
