India • Jun 23, 2025

Affordable sickle cell anaemia test kits in India

Big news for healthcare access—India has dropped the price of sickle cell anemia test kits from ₹350 to under ₹50.
This is part of a national push to screen 70 million people, especially in high-risk areas.

TL;DR

How the prices came down

Thanks to public tenders and deals with manufacturers, kit prices first fell to ₹82, saving the government nearly ₹1,900 crore.
Now, after ICMR's approval, manufacturers are supplying them for less than ₹50—making early testing way more affordable.

ICMR validated 35 different tests

ICMR quickly validated 35 different tests (including finger-prick and genetic options) in just a month.
With cheaper and faster tests now available, India is aiming to wipe out sickle cell disease by 2047 through early detection and treatment—especially in remote communities.