Science, technology and innovation plays critical role when the world is faced with unprecedented challenges like COVID-19: Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST

Mar 26, 2021

• Indian Healthcare 'Huwel Lifesciences' signs agreement with 'Sandor Medicaids' in Dhaka to manufacture and market RT-PCR Covid Test Kits in Bangladesh 

NEW DELHI, 26 March 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on his first foreign visit since the outbreak of COVID-19 to Bangladesh on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of the Country's independence. India and Bangladesh have been long standing development partners and the Prime Ministerial visit underlines the importance both nations accord to each other.

Both countries, today share the common goal of greater investments in science, technology and innovation particularly for a post-pandemic economic revival. Bilateral technological partnerships are critical to address common development challenges and achieve socio-economic growth in the region.

One such partnership success that coincides with the PM's visit is under the Millennium Alliance (MA) Program. The MA is a partnership between India's Department of Science and Technology (DST), USAID and the UK Government. While DST and USAID support scale up of innovations within India, the UK Government supports scaling up of Indian innovations in developing countries across Africa and South Asia.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Alliance announced a special call to fund and support Indian innovations tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the call, 15 innovations were supported with approx. Rs 10 crores, for innovations with solutions to manage, cure and arrest the spread of the pandemic in India and thereafter scaling them in South Asia and Africa.

The Indian startup 'Huwel Lifesciences' innovation 'COVID RT-PCR Kit' was supported under the MA with a grant of Rs 60 lakhs to replicate and scale the innovation in Bangladesh. The Start-up has now signed a MoU with Bangladesh enterprise 'Sandor Medicaids' to transfer the technology for manufacturing and marketing the kit in Bangladesh. The MoU is an example of how India and Bangladesh are collaborating to combat the pandemic.

Huwel Lifesciences's COVID RT-PCR Kit is aimed at simplifying extraction and real-time PCR by involving lesser number of steps, consumables, and instruments. The kit is stable at 4 degrees rather than -20 degrees and can be transported at 4 degrees and can be performed without any chances of cross contamination.

Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India stated, "Science, technology and innovation plays an increasingly critical role when the world is faced with unprecedented challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian Government, industry and startups responded quickly by developing targeted predictive, preventive and curative technologies and solutions to fight the pandemic. We are now sharing our knowledge with our friends in Bangladesh through technology transfer of indigenously-developed COVID RT-PCR diagnostic technology, supported by DBT, DST, and through one of its kind Public- Private- Partnership Program Millennium Alliance."

Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Chair, FICCI Start-up Committee and Founder, HCL stated, "Under the Millennium Alliance, we have successfully scaled 48 Indian innovations in other developing countries in South Asia and Africa. The development of the COVID RT-PCR diagnostic technology in India and its transfer to Bangladesh demonstrates India's technological prowess and strong innovation partnerships to achieve shared prosperity."

Dr Shesheer and Dr Rachana, Founders, HuWel Lifesciences, Hyderabad said, "We thank Governments of India and UK for selecting Huwel for MA grant and giving us an opportunity to transfer technology for manufacturing of COVID 19 RTPCR detection kits to Sandor Bangladesh. This will help in localisation of manufacturing where mobility is restricted due to pandemic."

Mr Rajeev Sindhi and Mr Muhammad AR Sarkar, Founders, Sandor Medicaids, Bangladesh stated, "Sandor Bangladesh is very excited to sign a technology transfer for manufacture of RT PCR Kits for the people of Bangladesh. We have always been at the forefront of bringing healthcare service to people of Bangladesh. It will be a new step for Bangladesh to manufacture its own RT PCR kits with the technology from Huwel Lifesciences."