Researchers Launch BHARAT Study: India's First Large-Scale Search for Aging Biomarkers

India is launching one of its most ambitious aging research efforts yet, aiming to decode how millions of people across the country age at the biological level. Scientists at Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have introduced the BHARAT Study, the country’s first large-scale multi-omics project designed specifically to understand aging in Indian populations.

Published in Aging-US, the study addresses a major problem in global aging research: most existing biological aging models are based largely on Western populations and may not accurately reflect aging patterns in countries like India.

The BHARAT Study—short for Biomarkers of Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity, and Transitions—will collect detailed biological, clinical, environmental, and lifestyle data from healthy volunteers across multiple age groups throughout India. Researchers aim to include participants from both rural and urban communities with balanced representation across sexes and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

The project will analyze a wide range of biological samples, including blood, urine, stool, hair, and cheek swabs. These samples will undergo advanced “multi-omics” testing, including epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, metagenomics, and immune profiling. Together, these technologies allow scientists to examine how genes, proteins, metabolism, microbes, and immune systems change during aging.

The initiative also plans to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to build population-specific biological aging models.

Researchers hope the project will reveal biomarkers linked to healthy aging, frailty, resilience, and age-related disease risk. Importantly, the study could help recalibrate existing “biological clocks” that may currently underestimate or misinterpret aging trajectories in non-Western populations.

Scientists say the BHARAT Study could become a globally important resource for precision aging research by capturing the enormous genetic, dietary, environmental, and cultural diversity found across India. Ultimately, the project aims to improve early risk prediction and support more personalized strategies for healthy aging and disease prevention.

REFERENCE: Asthana, S., et al (2026). The BHARAT study: a multi-modal, multi-omics investigation of aging signatures in the Indian population. Aging-US. DOI: 10.18632/aging.206373. https://www.aging-us.com/article/206373/text.