By Arunima Rajan

Suraksha Diagnostics is banking on genomics to change how diagnostics is delivered in Eastern India. With a ₹22 crore lab now handling tests like WES, microarray and BRCA panels in-house, the focus is on cutting wait times and reducing dependence on labs in other cities. Chairman and Joint MD Dr Somnath Chatterjee says a ₹46 crore expansion will take these capabilities deeper into smaller towns and make precision diagnostics part of everyday clinical care.

What made you invest ₹22 crore in a genomics lab now? Was there a gap you were trying to fill?

Until now, most advanced genomic tests, whether for rare diseases, cancer, or prenatal care, had to be shipped out of Eastern India, often to Delhi, Mumbai or other cities. This caused delays, increased costs, and left patients and doctors waiting. We built Suraksha Genomics to close this accessibility gap by delivering global-quality testing locally, faster, and more affordably.

Genomic tests are getting cheaper. How are you making them more accessible in smaller towns?

Technology costs are falling, but access is still a challenge in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.
We’re solving this through

Hub-and-spoke logistics with same-day sample pickups from 100+ Suraksha centres
Affordable tiered pricing models for key panels.

Will this lab cut the need to send samples outside Bengal or the country?

Yes, that’s one of the main goals. With our new genomics facility in Kolkata, tests like microarray, FISH, karyotyping, QF-PCR, WES, and hereditary cancer panels are now done completely in-house. This brings down turnaround time and eliminates the need to export samples.

How are you training doctors to understand and use complex genomic reports?

Genomic reports can be dense. That’s why we’ve built a clinical support team that includes:

Certified genetic counsellors
Case review support for treating physicians
Monthly CME programs and workshops across cities and districts
Educational material and digital access to genetics education.
Our goal is to make genomics usable, not just available.

Your lab offers tests for cancer, rare diseases, and prenatal care. Which segment is growing the fastest?

We’re seeing rapid growth in prenatal genomics and paediatric neurology referrals. Microarray and QF-PCR have seen 3X growth in the last year alone. But oncology is catching up especially BRCA testing and hereditary panels, as oncologists are now incorporating genomics into treatment planning and family risk screening.

What steps are you taking to include genomic testing in regular care, not just in big hospitals?

We’re democratising access to genomics by

Training by CMEs local clinicians and gynaecologists to identify cases
Embedding genomics into routine diagnostic workflows
Offering diagnostic packages that include molecular testing accessible.

How will your upcoming ₹46 crore expansion change the game for genomic testing in Eastern India?

This expansion will scale up both capacity and capability

Add new NGS platforms, bioinformatics infrastructure, and AI-supported interpretation
Expand test menu into somatic oncology, liquid biopsy, pharmacogenomics
Extend genomics logistics to Bihar, Odisha, Northeast India
Launch India’s largest genomics referral network from a non-metro region
This isn’t just a lab upgrade, it’s a platform for precision medicine in Eastern India.

After your IPO, what role do you see Suraksha playing in India’s precision medicine story?

The IPO has given us the momentum to move from being a regional leader to a national force in precision medicine. Our vision is clear: We want to mainstream genomics, take it beyond research labs and big hospitals, and embed it into everyday clinical practice across India.
Suraksha is uniquely positioned to do this because

We already operate one of the largest diagnostic networks in Eastern India
We have built the only advanced genomics lab in the region
We understand how to bridge high-end molecular science with on-ground medical realities
Over the next three years, we aim to.
Expand genomics and molecular diagnostics into 20+ underserved cities
Build clinician-led precision medicine programs in oncology, paediatrics, and reproductive care
Partner with public and private sectors to make genomics affordable, accessible, and clinically actionable

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₹68 Crore Genomics Play: Suraksha Diagnostics Targets Faster, Localised Testing Across East India