The India Health Fund (an initiative of Tata Trusts) is supporting Hyderabad based deep-tech startup D-Nome to develop and validate its D-ISO NAAT platform, aiming to create one of the world’s most affordable molecular TB screening solutions suitable for primary health centres across India.
Glimpse:
Announced recently in April 2026, this partnership focuses on making advanced molecular TB detection accessible at the primary healthcare level with minimal infrastructure. D-Nome’s indigenous D-ISO NAAT platform promises cost effective, point of care screening that could significantly boost early detection rates and support India’s goal of eliminating TB by 2025. The collaboration will accelerate product validation, regulatory approvals, and pilot testing in high burden states.
India continues to shoulder the highest global burden of tuberculosis, contributing roughly 25-27% of worldwide cases with an estimated 2.7 million infections reported in recent years. To address persistent challenges in early detection, the India Health Fund a Tata Trusts initiative has extended support to D-Nome, a Hyderabad based deep tech startup. The partnership centres on advancing D-Nome’s D-ISO NAAT platform, designed as an indigenous, all in one molecular screening solution that delivers reliable results with very low infrastructure demands, making it ideal for deployment at primary health centres.
Current molecular diagnostic tools often prove too expensive and complex for widespread use in resource limited settings. D-Nome’s technology seeks to overcome these barriers by offering molecular grade performance in a simple, decentralized format. The platform enables rapid qualitative screening and has potential for quantitative detection, allowing healthcare workers to make quicker and more informed clinical decisions. With IHF’s backing, the startup will focus on further development, validation, and eventual scaling to improve TB screening coverage in underserved rural and semi urban areas.
Pilot deployments are planned in high burden states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where the solution could help screen millions of people annually at a projected cost of under $5 per test. This initiative directly aligns with India’s National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), which targets zero TB deaths by 2025. Expected outcomes include a 30–50% rise in early detection rates, shorter diagnostic delays, and overall cost savings for the public health system. In the longer term, the technology may also extend to screening for other infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis.
The collaboration highlights a growing emphasis on indigenous innovations that combine affordability, simplicity, and high performance to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across the country.
“There is a pressing requirement for solutions that blend molecular grade performance and the ability to be affordable and decentralised at PHCs. Scaling D-ISO NAAT across India’s vast PHC network will drive equitable access to advanced diagnostics in underserved areas.”
By
HB Team
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