Snakebite Education
VISHAM will advance responsible snakebite awareness, public education, and training to reduce fear, counter misinformation, and prevent avoidable harm.
21,500 sq. ft. current built-up area
Funder KBITS, Government of Karnataka.
LocationEVL · IISc · IBAB
VISHAM Facility
Venom Institute for Snakebite Health and Advanced Medicine.
VISHAM is a dedicated snakebite research and education facility being established in Bengaluru by Prof. Kartik Sunagar and the Evolutionary Venomics Lab at IISc, in collaboration with IBAB, with funding support from the Government of Karnataka through KITS. Envisioned as India's first national centre of its kind, VISHAM will support venom research, antivenom development, venom quality assessment, outreach, education, wildlife forensics, and advanced snakebite interventions.
Mission
A serpentarium for research, education, and public health.
VISHAM integrates animal care, venom access, scientific evaluation, biotechnology, and public engagement to translate field realities into reliable snakebite interventions.
Venom Research
VISHAM will facilitate rigorous research on animal venoms — including those of snakes, spiders, scorpions, and others — with a focus on biogeography, venom variation, and translational relevance.
Antivenom Assessment
A central objective is to support the quality assessment of venoms used in lifesaving antivenom production and to evaluate the efficacy of commercially available Indian antivenoms.
Startup Incubator
VISHAM will act as an incubator for startups and entrepreneurs interested in venom research, providing the infrastructure, resources, and mentorship needed to accelerate the translation of discoveries into real-world solutions.
Advanced Medicine
VISHAM integrates resource development, biodiscovery, biotechnology, wildlife forensics, and next-generation therapeutic strategies to advance snakebite research and treatment.
Facility Program
What VISHAM makes possible.
Three interconnected programmes give VISHAM its translational edge across research, training, and clinical impact.
Regional venom resources
Maintaining and studying snakes from India's diverse biogeographic regions will improve access to representative venoms and strengthen both antivenom formulation and efficacy testing.
Bench-to-field translation
EVL's venomics, toxinology, antibody discovery, and small-molecule therapeutic programmes will be strengthened by a dedicated facility for applied snakebite research.
Outreach and training
VISHAM is designed to support education and training for students, first responders, clinicians, communities, and other stakeholders shaping the future of snakebite mitigation.
Outreach
Taking snakebite science beyond the research facility.
VISHAM's public-health mission includes awareness, stakeholder engagement, science communication, forest-department collaboration, and responsible education around venomous organisms and sustainable ecosystems.
Public education on venomous organisms, snakebite prevention, and evidence-based first response.
Building connections between forest officials, rescuers, clinicians, and researchers to translate field realities into better snakebite care.
Capacity building in responsible handling, venom collection, sample workflows, and outreach-ready educational resources.
Events
VISHAM events and outreach milestones.
A growing timeline of public showcases, scientific outreach, and stakeholder engagement connected with VISHAM's snakebite mission.
Bengaluru Tech Summit
BengaluruShowcasing VISHAM's translational snakebite research and fostering biotech industry partnerships at Asia's premier technology summit.
Multi-state Training & Venom Collection Outreach
Multiple StatesConducting extensive capacity-building workshops across India to train forest departments and researchers in ethical snake handling and standardized venom extraction protocols.
Uttarakhand Forest Department Outreach Workshop
UttarakhandA collaborative outreach initiative delivering critical training on snakebite mitigation, first-response workflows, and regional venomous species awareness.
Agumbe Rainforest Research Station
Agumbe, KarnatakaSpecialized field training at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) focused on the radiotelemetry, ecology, and safe management of King cobras.
Rajasthan Forest Department and Border Security Forces Outreach Workshop
RajasthanA major public health and conservation outreach program educating 192 frontline participants on snakebite prevention and regional snake identification.
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust & Irula Snake Catchers’ Society Visit
Tamil NaduA strategic knowledge-exchange visit for serpentarium management and venom production.
Groundbreaking Ceremony
BengaluruThe official foundation-laying ceremony marking the commencement of construction of AVRDC/VISHAM.