Assam to get northeast's first private medical cyclotron facility, project to cost Rs 62 crore

Assam is set to strengthen its position as a major centre for advanced cancer diagnostics and nuclear medicine in the Northeast with the development of the region's first privately owned medical cyclotron facility in Guwahati.

The foundation stone for the cyclotron vault was laid on November 1 at the Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) Industrial Estate in Bonda, in the presence of national and international medical experts.

Being developed by Nucleomed Private Limited, the facility will be the first private medical cyclotron in Northeast India and the 14th such facility in the country. The project involves an estimated investment of Rs 62 crore and is expected to be completed by September 2027. Commercial commissioning and production are targeted for January 2028.

Olivier Legrain, CEO and Vice-Chairman of Belgium-based Ion Beam Applications (IBA), attended the foundation stone-laying ceremony. He was in Guwahati in connection with the Assam government's proton therapy initiative.

The foundation stone was also laid by Dr Munindra Narayan Baruah, Managing Director of NECHRI; Dr Bibhuti Barthakur, Director of B Barooah Cancer Institute; Dr Ramen Hazarika, former Joint Director of the Directorate of Health Services, Government of India; Pijush Kanti Pal, Managing Director of Spandan Group, Kolkata; and Rakesh Pal, Director of IBA India.

Several medical professionals and industry representatives attended the event, including Dr Ashok Kumar Das, Deputy Director of B Barooah Cancer Institute, and Dr Sandeep Taparia, Director of ARHI. The ceremony was also attended by 86-year-old Tankeswary Saikia, mother of Nucleomed Director Dr Kandarpa Saikia.

What will the cyclotron facility produce?

The proposed facility will house an 18 MeV medical cyclotron capable of producing up to 30 curies of Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG), a radioactive tracer widely used in Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scans.

F-18 FDG helps doctors detect and assess cancer by identifying areas of increased metabolic activity in the body. PET-CT imaging is also used in the diagnosis and evaluation of several other medical conditions.

The facility is expected to cater to the growing demand for FDG among PET-CT centres across the Northeast and other parts of the country.

According to Dr Kandarpa Saikia, the project will also manufacture short- and ultra-short-half-life isotopes required for cancer treatment and other medical applications.

A dedicated theranostics ward is also planned on the premises. Theranostics combines diagnostic imaging and targeted treatment, allowing doctors to identify specific disease-related targets and use them to guide therapy.

The proposed infrastructure is expected to expand access to specialised nuclear medicine services in the region.

Project initiated after Advantage Assam 2.0

The project was initiated in November 2025 following Advantage Assam 2.0, the state's investment and infrastructure development initiative.

With the piling and initial construction work completed, the next phase will involve the construction of the specialised cyclotron vault, which is designed to house the nuclear medicine equipment.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Government of India, has approved the structural design of the nuclear installation in accordance with IS 1893:2016 specifications.

Architect Ranjee Baruah and structural engineer Bhaskarjyoti Das are overseeing the project, with former IIT Guwahati Director S N Buragohain serving as an adviser.

Assam eyes wider market for medical isotopes

The facility is also expected to create opportunities for supplying medical isotopes beyond the Northeast.

Dr Saikia said improved air connectivity in Assam could help transport cyclotron-produced isotopes to other parts of India and Southeast Asian countries, where demand for specialised medical materials is growing.

Since several medical isotopes have short radioactive half-lives, timely production and transportation are important for ensuring their availability for diagnostic and treatment procedures.

Dr Saikia acknowledged the support of the Assam government, particularly Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with the Assam Industrial Development Corporation and the Industries Department, in facilitating the project.

Dr Saikia's contribution to nuclear medicine in Assam

Dr Kandarpa Saikia has been associated with the development of nuclear medicine in Assam since 2001, when he helped establish the nuclear medicine department at B Barooah Cancer Institute.

He subsequently established Nucleomed Imaging and Diagnostics and played a key role in introducing the state's first privately operated PET-CT scanner.

The proposed cyclotron facility marks another step in expanding specialised medical infrastructure in Assam. Once operational, it is expected to strengthen the regional supply of radioactive tracers, support PET-CT diagnostic services and improve the availability of advanced nuclear medicine facilities in the Northeast.

The project is also expected to reduce dependence on supplies transported from other parts of the country, subject to its production capacity, regulatory approvals and distribution network.