India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market

India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Overview

India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market Industry Overview

India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and dengue, alongside rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance. Technological advancements in diagnostics, particularly in molecular diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and artificial intelligence, are enabling faster and more accurate detection of pathogens, which is crucial for effective disease management. The government’s initiatives, such as the National Health Mission and investments in healthcare infrastructure, further bolster the growth of the market. Additionally, the private sector’s involvement through diagnostic chains and partnerships with international companies is contributing to the expansion of diagnostic capabilities across India, particularly in underserved regions. The heightened awareness about health, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has also increased the demand for timely diagnostics. As a result, the market is evolving rapidly, with innovations and improved accessibility driving further advancements in the detection and treatment of emerging infectious diseases.

Several key factors are driving the growth of India's emerging infectious disease diagnostics market. Ongoing advancements in diagnostic technologies, particularly in molecular diagnostics such as PCR and RT-PCR, are enabling faster and more accurate detection of pathogens. The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and dengue, has heightened the demand for efficient diagnostic solutions. Furthermore, government initiatives such as the National Health Mission and investments in healthcare infrastructure are enhancing the availability and accessibility of diagnostic tools, particularly in rural areas. The growing awareness of public health and the emphasis on early disease detection, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have further contributed to market growth. Additionally, the rise of private diagnostic chains and partnerships with international diagnostic companies are increasing the reach of advanced diagnostic technologies across India. These factors collectively position the market for continued expansion, with innovations in diagnostic tools and greater healthcare accessibility playing a pivotal role in shaping its future.

Despite the significant opportunities, several challenges persist in India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market. One of the primary challenges is the uneven healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural and remote areas, which limits access to advanced diagnostic technologies. While urban centers have seen rapid advancements, the lack of diagnostic facilities in rural regions poses a significant barrier to widespread adoption. Additionally, high costs associated with advanced diagnostic tests, such as molecular diagnostics and point-of-care testing, can limit their affordability and accessibility, especially for underserved populations. Regulatory hurdles and delays in approvals for new diagnostic technologies also slow down the market's growth, as the introduction of innovative solutions often faces bureaucratic obstacles. Furthermore, while the demand for diagnostics is rising, there is often a lack of trained professionals to effectively operate advanced diagnostic equipment, which hampers the effective utilization of available technologies. These challenges highlight the need for targeted investment in healthcare infrastructure, affordability strategies, and capacity-building initiatives to unlock the full potential of the diagnostic market in India.

Demand - Drivers and Limitations

Market Demand Drivers for India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics:

• Rising Incidence of Emerging Infectious Diseases in India: The incidence of emerging infectious diseases in India has witnessed a steady rise in recent years, contributing significantly to the expansion of the country's emerging infectious disease diagnostics market. India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market has experienced substantial growth due to multiple factors. In addition to increased awareness and government initiatives, the country's past encounters with outbreaks such as Zika, Nipah, and the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the critical importance of preparedness. As a result, hospitals, laboratories, and healthcare institutions have been channeling resources into advanced diagnostic technologies to detect emerging infectious diseases swiftly and accurately.
• Increasing Adoption of Point-of-Care Testing in India
• Initiatives by Government and Organizations to Increase Awareness

Market Restraints for India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics:

• Inadequate Healthcare Infrastructure and Facilities: The India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market faces significant constraints due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure and facilities. These challenges could have a substantial impact on the ability to effectively diagnose and manage infectious diseases in the country.
• For instance, the presence of limited healthcare infrastructure in many parts of India, particularly in rural and remote areas, poses a significant hurdle. These regions often lack well-equipped laboratories and diagnostic facilities, making it difficult to conduct timely and accurate diagnostic tests. As a result, individuals in these underserved areas may not have access to the diagnostics they need, which can lead to delayed diagnoses and increased disease transmission.
• Lack of Skilled Personnel in Specialized Areas of Infectious Disease Control

Market Opportunities for India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics:

• Development of Technologically Advanced Platforms in India for Diagnosis: The development of technologically advanced diagnostic platforms in India represents a significant opportunity for players in the emerging infectious disease diagnostics market. The development of advanced diagnostic platforms can help address some of the existing constraints in the healthcare system, such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure and limited access to diagnostics in rural and remote areas.
• These advancements include the development of molecular diagnostics, point-of-care testing, immunoassays, and automated systems, among others. These advancements also provide rapid and accurate results, enabling healthcare professionals to make timely treatment decisions.

Market Lifecycle Stage of India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics:

The India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics market is currently in a phase of rapid growth and innovation. This phase is characterized by the increasing adoption of advanced diagnostic technologies, driven by the rising incidence of infectious diseases, particularly COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and dengue. The market is also benefiting from significant government investments in healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic capabilities, as well as from private sector participation in expanding access to diagnostic tools. Technological advancements in molecular diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and artificial intelligence are enabling faster, more accurate detection of infectious diseases, further propelling market growth. As the demand for more efficient and accessible diagnostic solutions grows, the market is in the process of scaling up, with an increasing number of diagnostic centers and partnerships with international companies. However, challenges related to affordability, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory processes still need to be addressed as the market continues to mature.

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis  for India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics:

Infectious disease diagnostics encompass a range of methods and techniques used to identify and detect infectious agents in individuals suspected of having an infection. These diagnostics play a vital role in timely diagnosis and accuracy, enabling appropriate treatment decisions and public health interventions.

There are two major approaches in the field; one is microbiological culture, which is a fundamental approach in which patient specimens are cultured on specialized growth media to isolate and identify specific pathogens. This technique allows for the determination of the causative organism and the assessment of its antimicrobial susceptibility. Molecular diagnostics, another important approach, utilizes techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) to detect the genetic material of the infectious agent. This enables highly sensitive and specific identification of pathogens, even at low concentrations.

Industry and Technology Overview

Impact on India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics

India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing technological advancements, heightened public health awareness, and government initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure. This sector plays a critical role in addressing the growing burden of infectious diseases, enabling timely detection, and improving disease management. The market includes a broad range of diagnostic solutions, such as molecular diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), all of which are transforming the approach to combating infectious diseases in India.

Key technological advancements in India emerging infectious disease diagnostics include:

• Molecular Diagnostics: The adoption of molecular diagnostic technologies, such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR), has revolutionized the ability to detect pathogens with higher accuracy and speed. These technologies, which allow for the precise identification of viral and bacterial infections at a genetic level, have become indispensable in the rapid diagnosis of diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, and malaria.
• Point-of-Care Testing (POCT): Point-of-care testing devices have been gaining traction in India, enabling rapid diagnosis at the site of patient care. This is especially important in rural and underserved areas where access to centralized laboratories may be limited. POCT technologies, such as rapid antigen and antibody tests, have proven to be effective in detecting diseases such as dengue, malaria, and COVID-19.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI and machine learning are increasingly being incorporated into diagnostic platforms, improving the efficiency of disease detection and interpretation of results. AI-driven diagnostic tools are helping streamline data analysis, enabling faster decision-making and better patient outcomes.

Impact of India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics:

India faces a dual burden of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases, with infectious diseases continuing to pose significant public health challenges. The rise of emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, as well as vector-borne diseases (dengue, chikungunya), and zoonotic diseases, has created an urgent demand for more sophisticated and widespread diagnostic tools.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the adoption of diagnostic testing in India, highlighting the importance of having a robust diagnostic infrastructure for emerging diseases. This shift has brought global attention to the need for improved diagnostic capabilities, and it has encouraged investments in both public and private sectors to enhance diagnostic services across the country.

Government Initiatives and Support:

The Indian government has been proactive in addressing the diagnostic needs for infectious diseases through initiatives such as the National Health Mission (NHM), National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP), and Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP). These initiatives aim to improve disease surveillance, early detection, and treatment access, which directly influences the demand for diagnostic services.

In response to COVID-19, the government ramped up efforts to increase diagnostic testing capacity, including expanding testing sites, subsidizing diagnostic kits, and streamlining approval processes for new diagnostic technologies. These actions have significantly improved India’s capacity to respond to infectious disease outbreaks and have laid the foundation for future diagnostic infrastructure development.

Market Segmentation for Impact on India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market:

•    Segmentation 1: by Application

Laboratory Testing

Point of Care

Laboratory Testing to Dominate the India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market (by Application)

Based on application, the laboratory testing segment dominated India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market in FY2024. Laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases. It involves the analysis of patient samples, such as blood, urine, sputum, or tissue, to detect the presence of infectious agents. Microbiological culture is a common technique that involves incubating patient samples on specific growth media to isolate and identify bacteria, fungi, or parasites, which can then be visualized through microscopy.

Segmentation 2: by Technology

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology (INAAT)

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Immunodiagnostics

Other Technologies

Based on technology, India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market was dominated by the PCR segment in FY2024. Nowadays, PCR is usually used in several laboratories around the world, as it amplifies DNA further, allowing the analysis of even small amounts of nucleic acid. With growing technological advancements in molecular biology techniques, PCR has been utilized in several fields, including disease diagnosis, DNA profiling, precision medicine, and gene expression.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized infectious disease diagnosis by enabling comprehensive and high-throughput analysis of pathogen genomes. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) allows the sequencing of entire pathogen genomes, providing detailed information about genetic variations, antimicrobial resistance genes, and virulence factors. It can identify and characterize pathogens, track outbreaks, and analyze their evolutionary patterns.

Other emerging technologies anticipated to register significant growth include technologies such as digital PCR, INAAT, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR).  

Segmentation 3: by Type of Infection

Bacterial\

Viral

Fungal

Other Infections (Parasitic etc)

Bacterial and Viral Segments to Dominate the India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market (by Type of Infection)

Based on the type of infection, bacterial infectious disease diagnosis involves various methods and techniques to identify the presence of bacterial pathogens in clinical samples. Some of the common bacterial infections include respiratory infections such as tuberculosis and streptococcal infections and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

Viruses have the ability to mutate and, therefore, can lead to the re-emergence of diseases even after one form of the virus has been eradicated or managed. Molecular diagnostic companies are therefore focused on developing tests that can detect a wide range of viruses. Some of the common infections caused by viruses include influenza, genital herpes, COVID-19, hepatitis, mumps, rubella, gastroenteritis, Zika disease, and ebola disease, among others.

•Segmentation 4: by Disease Type

Respiratory Infections

Gastrointestinal Infections

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Neurological Infections

Post-Transplant Infections

Other Infections

Respiratory Infections to Dominate the India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market (by Disease Type)

A vast majority of molecular diagnostic companies offer tests for various kinds of bacteria and viruses responsible for causing respiratory infections. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the development of a wide range of tests employing conventional technologies such as reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and even leveraging emerging technologies such as RT-LAMP and CRISPR. Several companies now offer multiplex assays that test for influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Segmentation 4: by End User

Hospitals and Clinics

Diagnostic Laboratories

Other End Users

Hospitals and Clinics and Diagnostic Laboratories to Dominate the India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market (by End User)

Based on end users, the hospitals and clinics, and diagnostic laboratories segments accounted for the largest share of the India emerging infectious disease diagnostics market in FY2024. Hospitals and clinics play a critical role in the field of infectious disease diagnostics, serving as important centers for patient evaluation and testing. In addition to point-of-care testing (POCT), which provides immediate results for rapid diagnosis and management, hospitals and clinics may also rely on laboratory testing for comprehensive analysis. Some healthcare facilities have on-site laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies, while others collaborate with external diagnostic laboratories for specialized testing. These laboratory facilities employ various methods, including molecular techniques such as PCR and sequencing, serological assays, and culture-based methods to identify and characterize infectious agents accurately.

Recent Developments in the India Emerging Infectious Disease Diagnostics Market

• In February 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and Mylab announced a pact on test kits for infectious diseases.
• In February 2023, Biotech startup CrisprBits raised $250,000 in a pre-seed funding round to support the development and commercialization of its CRISPR-based tests.
• In February 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Xpert Mpox test by Cepheid (parent: DANAHER CORPORATION) for emergency use.
• In August 2022, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. acquired Curiosity Diagnostics to gain access to PCR ONE, a technology being developed by Curiosity Diagnostics, which can quickly detect a broad range of pathogens.
• In June 2021, Hologic, Inc. completed the acquisition of Mobidiag to expand its capabilities in molecular diagnostics.
• In January 2023, CrisprBits developed India’s first CRISPR-based SARS-CoV-2 test with Omicron detection.
• In March 2023, an India-based startup, Mylab Discovery Solutions Pvt. Ltd., entered into a joint venture with AstraGene LLC, the U.A.E.’s first molecular diagnostics manufacturing company to develop molecular diagnostics in the U.A.E. and Kuwait.

In November 2022, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. and NuProbe entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for digital PCR applications.