Over 11.54 lakh COVID-19 tests were conducted in a span of 24 hours last Wednesday across the country, taking India's cumulative tests to over 5.18 crore. An expanded diagnostic lab network and facilitation for easy testing across the country through various calibrated measures have given the effort a substantial boost. Building on this achievement, the Tests Per Million (TPM) have seen a sharp increase to 37,539, the Union Health Ministry had stated. As the government is now focusing on doubling testing capacity, a new diagnostic project called Indigenisation of Diagnostics (InDx) has been launched.

Anchored at Bengaluru's Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), the project aims to indigenously manufacture, in bulk quantities and at much lower costs, all reagents needed for RT-PCR-based and other molecular methods of diagnostics of COVID-19. Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO of CCAMP, says, "The more we test, the more positive cases are being recorded. Currently, the most reliable diagnostic test is the RT-PCR. A month or two ago, we saw rapid antigen tests being done, too. But it has not still reached good sensitivity or specificity. Therefore, we are trying to develop components required for RT-PCR test kits."