Reliance Industries Ltd is preparing to enter India’s genomics space with advanced genetic tests priced at a fraction of current costs, potentially under ₹1,000. The move could significantly change the country’s healthcare landscape, where high testing costs have so far limited the use of genomics in routine medical care.
The initiative will be driven through Strand Life Sciences, the Bengaluru-based genomics and diagnostics company acquired by Reliance in 2021 for ₹393 crore. Strand focuses on specialised healthcare testing and genomic sciences, and will play a central role in rolling out these affordable diagnostic solutions across India.
Genomic tests, which study DNA from blood, saliva or tissue samples, are widely used to assess disease risk, track cancer progression and support personalised treatment. Despite their growing importance, basic genomic tests currently cost around ₹10,000, making them inaccessible to a large section of the population. Reliance aims to sharply reduce these prices to ensure wider adoption across income groups.
Describing the plan as a “Jio-fication in genomics,” Strand Life Sciences director Nilesh Modi said the company wants to create a large-scale impact. One of the mid-term goals is to bring down the price of the CancerSpot early cancer screening test to about ₹9,999, with a longer-term ambition of pushing costs into the triple-digit range through innovation and scale.
Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani has earlier highlighted genomics as a key area for future healthcare breakthroughs. If the strategy succeeds, it could help make preventive healthcare more common in India, moving genetic testing from specialised centres into everyday medical practice and enabling early disease detection for millions.
