The workshop was inaugurated in the presence of eminent dignitaries including Professor GN Sastry of the Department of Biotechnology, Hyderabad Institute of Technology. Dr. TS Rana, Director, CSIR-HRDC, Dr. Vinay Kumar, Scientist G and Program Convener. and Mrs. Preeti Chaudhary, Program Coordinator. In his inaugural address, Professor Sastry highlighted the innovative role of AI in revolutionizing the drug discovery process and emphasized the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches in pharmaceutical research. Dr. Vinay Kumar also presented a comprehensive overview of the workshop, outlining its vision, objectives, and rationale behind the conceptualization of this program to address emerging needs in AI-driven drug discovery.
The three-day workshop featured a series of insightful lectures and interactive sessions from renowned experts from leading institutions. Notable contributors included Prof. Prabha Garg (NIPER, SAS Nagar), Prof. D. Sunder (Director, IBAB), Dr. Arijit Roy (TCS, Hyderabad), and Dr. S. Nagamani (CSIR-NEIST), who shared their expertise, real-world applications, and new perspectives in AI-enabled drug discovery.
Technical sessions on AI in target identification and biomarker identification, AI-assisted molecular docking and scoring, and AI in biomolecular simulation were particularly well received. Experts like Dr. Rajnish Kumar, Associate Professor (IIT BHU, Varanasi), Dr. Firoz Khan (CSIR-CIMAP) and Dr. Tarak Karmakar (IIT Delhi) provided in-depth knowledge and practical insights that significantly enhanced the participants’ understanding of advanced computational approaches in drug discovery.
The workshop concluded on April 9, 2026 with the distribution of certificates of participation by Dr. TS Rana and Dr. Vinay Kumar, acknowledging the active participation of the participants throughout the program.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks by Mrs. Preeti Chaudhary, who expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all the distinguished speakers, dignitaries and participants for their valuable contributions in making the program a huge success.
This workshop received very positive and encouraging feedback from participants and will serve as a guiding framework for organizing future programs. The program has successfully provided a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, skill development, and fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving field of AI-driven drug discovery.
