IIT-Delhi’s RT-PCR kit, with base price of Rs 399, opens new avenue for cheaper Covid tests

The test kit has received approvals from ICMR and the Drug Controller General of India.

Corosure is low cost RT-PCR test developed by IIT Delhi | By special arrangement

New Delhi: A low cost real time RT-PCR testing kit for screening patient samples for Covid-19 was launched Wednesday. With a base price of Rs 399, the kit claims to be just as accurate as the regular test kit.

Called ‘Corosure’, the kit was developed at the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.

During the video launch, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that even after factoring in the RNA isolation and laboratory charges, the cost per test was considerably cheaper compared to the currently available kits in the market. The prices range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 from state to state.

He further said IIT Delhi had granted licenses to 10 companies to manufacture Corosure, which would be available for use in authorised testing labs.

According to the institute, Corosure can give results within three hours of running the test.

Corosure was sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, which falls under the nodal Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), for approval in March. In April, IIT Delhi became the first academic institution to obtain the ICMR’s approval for a real-time PCR-based diagnostic assay.

Corosure was also approved by the Drug Controller General of India.

“We should take this as a sign of success and not stop till our country is completely atmanirbhar,” said Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank who was at the launch.

Minister of State Sanjay Dhotre, who was also present at the launch, said, “The country’s youth have a lot of passion and potential for innovation and entrepreneurship. They only need to be provided with the right climate, resources and motivation. IITs have done a great job in this sphere.”

He further commended the institute’s 40-year old Centre for Rural Development and Technology and said it had been playing a crucial role in the application of new technology in rural India.