The ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, in collaboration with the NIV Research Foundation and the Indian Virological Society (IVS), successfully hosted VIROCON 2025, a three-day international conference held from 8–10 December at Pune. The event, themed “Changing Landscapes in Human, Animal and Plant Viruses: Bridging Basic Science, Innovation and Public Health,” brought together experts to address emerging viral threats and innovations in virology.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, DHR & Director General, ICMR, inaugurated the conference and emphasized the need for a robust One Health approach and development of effective countermeasures for future pandemic preparedness.

The conference saw the participation of over 650 delegates, including scientists, clinicians, public health experts, industry partners and students from India and abroad. Representatives from four countries—USA, Canada, Thailand and India, attended the event, along with delegates from premier Indian institutions such as IISc, IISERs, IITs, Central Universities, ICAR, ICMR, DRDO, DBT, CSIR and several State Universities.

Scientific sessions were held across three major tracks, One Health & Pandemic Preparedness, Development of Countermeasures, and Fundamental Virology with 13 keynote lectures, 44 lead talks, 154 oral presentations, and 251 posters. Prestigious recognitions, including the IVS Oration Awards 2025 and IVS Young Scientist Awards, were presented, along with VIROCON 2025 oral and poster awards. The inaugural Keshvi Sharma Memorial Award from NIV research foundation was conferred on Dr. Shashank Tripathi of IISc Bengaluru.

Established in 1952, the NIV is India’s apex virology institute, a WHO Collaborating Centre for emerging infectious diseases, and a global leader in Virology. NIV made the country’s first detection of key pathogens such as KFD virus, CCHF virus, Nipah virus and Zika virus, enabling rapid outbreak response. The pioneering C6/36 Singh mosquito cell line, developed at NIV, is now used worldwide for arbovirus research. The institute has developed indigenous vaccines for KFD, Japanese Encephalitis and SARS-CoV-2. As the National Reference Laboratory and nodal centre for the VRDL network, NIV, with its advanced BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities, continues to strengthen India’s diagnostics, preparedness and scientific innovation in virology.

VIROCON 2025 concluded with a strong commitment to advancing viral research, fostering collaboration, and strengthening public health preparedness.

***

HarshalAkude/DineshYadav

सोशल मिडियावर आम्हाला फॉलो करा:@PIBMumbai    /PIBMumbai    /pibmumbai  pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com  /PIBMumbai    /pibmumbai

(रिलीज़ आईडी: 2205190) आगंतुक पटल : 123