Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed a medical conference at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi, on Saturday, 4 July 2026, marking the launch of the Indo-French Liver and Metabolic Disease Network (InFLiMeN) — a bilateral research initiative focused on liver and metabolic disorders.

Context

Speaking at the event, Dr. Singh underlined that India's population carries a distinct genetic predisposition that makes it especially vulnerable to diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular conditions — often at lower Body Mass Index (BMI) levels than seen in Western populations. He described the country's liver epidemic and the sharp rise in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus as part of a 'larger metabolic nexus', where fatty liver, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance 'closely interconnect and predispose one another.'

The minister noted that the liver, despite being 'the body's most resilient organ', is coming under growing stress from unhealthy diets, irregular sleep, sedentary lifestyles, and environmental pollution. Crucially, he flagged that metabolic disorders are now 'increasingly affecting younger Indians', framing the trend as a national concern rather than a purely medical one.

Policy Backdrop

ILBS, an autonomous institute established in 2009 under the Government of Delhi, has been a national referral centre for liver and biliary diseases. The InFLiMeN network builds on a long arc of India-France scientific cooperation, including a bilateral health research MoU renewed in 2019 and earlier agreements under the Centre Franco-Indien pour la Promotion de la Recherche Avancée (CEFIPRA).

India's non-communicable disease (NCD) burden has been addressed through successive policy frameworks, including the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), launched in 2010, and the National Health Policy 2017, which explicitly shifted emphasis from curative to preventive care. Dr. Singh's call for a 'mission-mode national response driven by preventive healthcare' aligns with this established policy direction.

He also linked his remarks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sustained public emphasis on tackling obesity and lifestyle-related diseases — a theme the PM has championed through platforms ranging from Yoga Day messaging to the Fit India Movement.

Stakeholders and Impact

India has recorded one of the fastest global rises in Type 2 Diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), with clinical data consistently showing metabolic onset at lower BMI thresholds than in Western cohorts. This phenotypic difference means standard global screening benchmarks may underestimate disease burden in Indian populations.

Younger Indians — working-age adults and even adolescents — are increasingly represented in metabolic disorder statistics, straining both household finances and public health infrastructure. The InFLiMeN network is intended to generate India-specific and France-collaborative genomic and phenotypic data that could eventually inform more targeted screening protocols.

Mass public awareness, which Dr. Singh called for explicitly, remains a gap: surveys have repeatedly shown low awareness of fatty liver disease as a precursor to cirrhosis and liver failure among the general population.

What's Next

Observers will watch whether metabolic screening is integrated into Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, which already provide primary NCD screening services at the community level. The outcomes of the next India-France Joint Committee on Science and Technology will also indicate whether InFLiMeN secures sustained bilateral funding. Dr. Singh's framing of the issue as demanding a 'mission-mode' response signals political will at the ministerial level — but translating that into programmatic action across states will be the defining test.