CSIR to launch Rs 100 sickle cell anaemia test kit in 6 months

Time of India

18-07-2025

Pune: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will launch an affordable screening test kit for sickle cell anaemia in six months. The PCR-based test kit, which would be priced under Rs 100, has been developed by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology — a laboratory under CSIR.
CSIR director-general N Kalaiselvi, who inaugurated a conference in the city on Friday, shared this development. Speaking on the sidelines of the National Scientists Round Table Conference 2025 at MIT World Peace University, she said the test, using one drop of blood, can screen patients for the disease in less than 30 minutes.
'Many research institutes, including ICMR and CSIR, have worked on this kit. With just a drop of blood put in a polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) kit developed by CSIR; one can understand in 20-30 minutes whether an individual is a patient, a carrier, or at risk of contracting sickle cell anaemia,' Kalaiselvi said.
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She said the test will cost between Rs 87 and Rs 93, and will be available on the Union govt's Govt e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
On AI in healthcare
Kalaiselvi said the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in many of CSIR's labs in India could be a gamechanger; she said AI will be a very helpful addition to the healthcare sector.
The CSIR director-general also touched upon the trend of scientists being encouraged to establish their own startups.
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She said in India, senior scientists or principal investigators often encourage younger colleagues to launch their own startups. 'This is how spin-off startups have begun in India, and scientists are moving in that direction in a big way. Youngsters have that fire in the belly; they want to have their own startups, so they will be the driving force,' she said.
'As India marches toward its 2047 (Viksit Bharat) vision, it's clear that science, technology, and innovation will be the real engines of national growth. What's truly inspiring is the mindset shift among students; they're not just seeking jobs, they're building startups and creating employment. This silent revolution is made possible through science and must be nurtured,' she added.
The conference will host 36 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and INSA awardees, directors of premier national and regional laboratories, eminent academicians, and senior scientists from across diverse research and industrial sectors.