The 85th CSIR Foundation Day was celebrated at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, with a strong focus on translating traditional knowledge into scientific innovation, strengthening industry linkages and taking research closer to society. Dr GN Singh, Advisor (Health) to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and former Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), was the chief guest and delivered the Foundation Day lecture on “Integrative Medicine: From Traditional Knowledge to Scientific Innovation.” At the outset, Dr Singh conveyed the greetings of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the scientists, researchers and staff of CSIR-IIIM. He congratulated Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu and CSIR-NBRI Lucknow, and the entire institute team for their scientific contributions, appreciating the collective efforts of scientists, technical personnel and supporting staff behind the institution’s achievements. Dr Singh said science and technology are important drivers of economic growth and stressed the need for closer integration of research institutions, industry, academia, regulators and society. He said India’s rich traditional knowledge should be systematically supported by modern scientific research to develop evidence-based healthcare solutions. He also acknowledged the role of Hon’ble Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in promoting the science and technology ecosystem and encouraging greater interaction between scientific institutions, industry and emerging technologies. Dr Singh said institutions such as CSIR-IIIM were well placed to contribute to national priorities through research, innovation and technology development. Referring to the changing healthcare and pharmaceutical landscape, Dr Singh stressed the need to adopt new technologies, artificial intelligence and innovative approaches while maintaining high standards of safety, efficacy and quality. He said India must keep pace with global developments in synthetic drugs, biologics, phytopharmaceuticals, medical devices and other healthcare sectors. He emphasised the importance of patents, technology transfer and commercialisation, saying scientific research should not remain confined to laboratories but should ultimately result in products and technologies that benefit society. Dr Singh also called for reducing dependence on imported technologies and strengthening indigenous capabilities in critical sectors. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between researchers, industry and regulators in taking innovations from the laboratory to the market. He further spoke about the need to minimise the use of animals in scientific research wherever scientifically possible and to explore emerging alternatives while maintaining the required standards of scientific validation. Encouraging young scientists, Dr Singh said they had significant opportunities ahead and urged them to make full use of the scientific infrastructure and ecosystem available at CSIR institutions.

Welcoming the chief guest, Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu and CSIR-NBRI Lucknow, said the Foundation Day provided an opportunity to reflect on CSIR’s contribution to the country and to chart the path ahead. He described CSIR as a multidisciplinary scientific organisation with a nationwide network of laboratories, highly skilled scientific manpower and advanced research infrastructure. He said the organisation’s mandate extends from basic research and technology development to industry collaboration and societal applications. Dr Ahmed highlighted CSIR-IIIM Jammu’s research achievements, saying the institute has been working across areas including drug discovery, natural products, phytopharmaceuticals, agriculture, Aroma Mission, startups and public outreach. He said that during the past year, CSIR-IIIM had filed 16 Indian patents and 14 international patent applications, reflecting the institute’s focus on protecting and translating its research outcomes. He further highlighted the institute’s drug discovery programme, stating that several candidates are at different stages of development, while pharmaceutical leads, including phytopharmaceutical candidates, are being advanced towards regulatory approval. Dr Ahmed also underlined CSIR-IIIM’s work under the CSIR Aroma Mission, particularly its efforts to support farmers and promote cultivation of aromatic crops and related value chains. He said the institute was working to ensure that scientific research translated into tangible benefits for farmers and society. On entrepreneurship, he said the institute has made significant progress in supporting startups through its incubation ecosystem. CSIR-IIIM and its associated incubation facilities have supported more than 125 startups and entrepreneurs, providing technical, analytical and research support to help ideas move towards product development. The Director also highlighted the importance of connecting young people with science. He said the institute’s Open Day was organised as part of the Foundation Day celebrations to give students first-hand exposure to scientific research and laboratory facilities.

Earlier in the day, CSIR-IIIM Jammu opened its research facilities to students and teachers under the Open Day programme. Around 1,200 students and more than 60 teachers from schools and colleges across Jammu visited the institute. The students were taken through facilities including the Janaki Ammal Herbarium, Plant Tissue Culture, Fermentation Technology, Discovery Informatics, Animal House, QA & QC Division, BSL-3 facility, Super Critical Extraction and CGMP-compliant Pilot Extraction Facility, besides the IIIM Technology Business Incubator. A parallel Open Day programme was organised at the CSIR-IIIM Branch Laboratory, Srinagar, where 57 students accompanied by eight faculty members from four schools visited the institute. The Srinagar programme began with a welcome address by Dr Fayaz Malik, followed by introductory remarks by Dr Khursheed Ahmad Bhat. The students visited laboratories and facilities associated with Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry, Plant Molecular Biology, Microbiology, the Atul Incubation Centre and Cancer Pharmacology, getting an opportunity to understand ongoing research activities. The institute said the interaction was aimed at encouraging scientific curiosity among students and exposing young learners to career opportunities in research and innovation.

As part of the Foundation Day programme at Jammu, the Annual Report of CSIR-IIIM was also released. Retiring officials were facilitated for their services to the institution, while meritorious students of permanent staff members were honoured with cash prizes. Winners of the Hindi Pakhwada competitions were also felicitated during the programme. The programme also provided an opportunity for the institute to recognise the contribution of its wider workforce, including scientists, technical and administrative staff, research scholars and other supporting personnel. The event proceedings were conducted by Dr. Gurleen Kour, Scientist whileas Er. Abdul Rahim, Scientist-G and Head, RMBD&ST and Head, IIIM Branch, Srinagar presented the formal vote of thanks.