Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India Limited, in collaboration with IIT Madras, has launched Hyundai Hope for Cancer, a long-term initiative dedicated to improving paediatric cancer care in India. Supported by a ₹56-crore social impact investment, the programme is anchored by the new Hyundai Centre for Cancer Genomics at IIT Madras, Chennai.
The centre will house India’s first community-based Cancer Tissue Biobank to drive advanced genomic research in paediatric leukaemia and lymphoma. By sequencing genetic mutations, it aims to build a national childhood cancer genome database and support personalised treatment. It will also serve as a hub for collaboration with clinicians, researchers, pharmaceutical experts, and international organisations such as the ICGC and WHO-IARC.
As part of its broader mandate, the centre plans to sequence 1,600 samples, provide free treatment for 30–50 children, and train 100 technicians in genomics. HMIF has also launched a dedicated ₹3-crore Cancer Care Fund to support underprivileged families. Over the next four years, the programme will conduct 225 awareness and screening camps across Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Maharashtra, reaching 1.27 lakh people and administering HPV vaccines to 5,000 girls.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted the initiative’s alignment with the National Education Policy 2020, emphasising its role in strengthening industry-academia partnerships and expanding equitable healthcare access.
Unsoo Kim, MD of Hyundai Motor India, said the initiative reflects Hyundai’s vision of “Progress for Humanity” and is aimed at healing and hope. Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, noted that the collaboration will enable breakthrough research in paediatric oncology, advancing diagnostics and targeted therapies.