Breakthrough: Indian firm Develops Cost effective COVID-19 Testing Kits, Gets ICMR Nod. Report!

South 24 Parganas based private firm GCC Biotech India, claims that it had produced ‘real-time’ testing kits for coronavirus, which will only cost Rs.500 and will give results in just 90 minutes.

“After 2 months of R&D we made this kit. It is cost effective as it contains all reagents produced by us. We’ve made 1 crore test kits and have 40 lakh in store. If India can do 3 lakh tests per day,we’ll be able to support the government without any problems,” Managing Director of GCC Biotech India Raja Majumdar told ANI.

One testing kit can test 100 patients, claims the firm. These are being developed indigenously in the laboratories of the firm itself.

Majumdar said, “It is a real-time test kit which can detect infection. Within 90 minutes, the patient can get the COVID-19 result. The incubation period is not required for the test. Producing reagents is an advantage of the company. We are supplying the reagents across the country. We have the capacity to manufacture 1 Crore test kits per month.”

He also added, “We have got Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) clearance and are waiting for WHO approval. If we are asked by the State or Central government for providing test kits at this hour of crisis, we are ready to meet the demands as required. A private laboratory is charging Rs.4500 for the COVID test. This kit will turn out to be fruitful to those who are economically weak.”