Guwahati: In a major boost to the scientific and technological capabilities of India’s North-East, NIPER Guwahati in Assam inaugurated the PARAM Embryo Supercomputing Facility on Thursday, according to an official press release issued by the institute.
Jayant D. Patil, former Whole-Time Director and Member of the Executive Management Committee of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), inaugurated the facility. Prof. (Dr.) USN Murty, Director of NIPER Guwahati, was also present during the ceremony.
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PARAM Embryo, located within the Advanced Centre for Computer-Aided Drug Design (ACAD), is the first high-performance computing (HPC) facility of its kind in the North-East. Funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, the supercomputing center is a strategic effort to address the unique healthcare and research challenges faced by the region.
The ACAD centre, established in 2021, aims to develop a region-specific drug discovery ecosystem by focusing on the North-East’s public health needs. With PARAM Embryo now commissioned, the facility offers 312 Teraflops of computing power for molecular dynamics and 150 Teraflops for AI/ML applications—enabling advanced virtual screening, quantum chemistry, and AI-assisted drug design capabilities.
According to the press release, Jayant D. Patil commended the initiative and emphasized the significance of regional scientific growth, “The North-East is rich in biodiversity, talent, and traditional knowledge. With the PARAM Embryo facility, NIPER Guwahati is poised to become a hub for advanced pharmaceutical research that leverages these regional strengths.”
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Prof. (Dr.) USN Murty, Director of NIPER Guwahati, noted, “This is not just a supercomputing facility—it’s a gateway for the region to contribute significantly to national and global drug discovery efforts. PARAM Embryo allows us to collaborate with premier institutions and industries while offering world-class infrastructure to local students, researchers, and startups.”
Over the last four years, ACAD has developed into a dynamic research centre, hosting three international conferences (ADDMC-22, 23, 24) and collaborating with premier institutions including IIT Delhi, IICT Hyderabad, and CSIR labs. Regional biotech startups like Groweda Pvt. Ltd. and Aurigene Oncology Pvt. Ltd. have also engaged in active collaborations.
The centre has produced several AI-powered drug discovery tools:
- SOS Predictor – for Phase II metabolism prediction
- PIP-1.0 – for anti-cancer activity prediction
These tools are currently undergoing technology transfer to convert them into practical, market-ready healthcare solutions.
PARAM Embryo is now open for collaborative access to academic institutions, industries, and startups, with a focus on developing research talent in the North-East.
The facility will play a key role in training computational chemists, bioinformaticians, and AI researchers in drug discovery.
According to the press release, NIPER Guwahati plans to expand the infrastructure under Phase II of the MeitY-sponsored initiative. The institute also aims to establish a Natural Product Database under the Centre of Excellence in Phytopharmaceuticals, using the region’s extensive ethnopharmacological resources.
The statement further said, the launch of PARAM Embryo marks a historic step in decentralizing scientific innovation and strengthening pharmaceutical research capacity in India’s North-East.
NIPER Guwahati is leveraging regional biodiversity, local talent, and cutting-edge technology to establish itself as a national leader in next-generation drug discovery.