We have had quite a journey in these 24 years! Sit back and travel through our major milestones.
On a warm day in 2000, two entrepreneurs were each crafting a vision that would change global health. Sriram Natarajan, a technocrat with a passion for accessible diagnostics, founded Molbio in Goa, while Dr. Chandrasekhar Nair was establishing Bigtec Labs in Bangalore, a research lab focused on turning scientific ideas into market-ready products. Neither could have imagined how their journeys would eventually come together to revolutionize point-of-care molecular diagnostics.
By 2004, Bigtec made a pivotal shift. In a small, buzzing lab, Chandrasekhar Nair and his team decided to focus all their efforts on developing chip-based PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) systems, narrowing their scope to drive innovation.
After years of relentless research, a proof-of-concept for point-of-care real-time PCR technology emerged. This led to the creation of a revolutionary “lab on a chip” model – ushering in a new era of faster, portable, and reliable diagnostics, capable of reaching places where conventional labs could not.
Molbio and Bigtec joined forces in 2011, forming a 50-50 joint venture. This strategic partnership combined Bigtec’s breakthrough PCR technology with Molbio’s commercialization expertise, bringing advanced molecular diagnostics to communities worldwide. The alliance would prove transformative, merging scientific innovation with market reach to democratize healthcare access.
Democratizing healthcare access with decentralized gold-standard molecular diagnostics at the point of care, the Truenat was launched – a rapid, ultra-portable technology solution that fit into a backpack yet held the power to redefine healthcare. Staying true to its mission of reaching underserved populations, the platform was first deployed in Bihar, an Indian state with a significant gap in health infrastructure. The deployment marked a pivotal moment in innovation, bringing advanced molecular diagnostics into communities, outside of traditional centralized laboratory systems.
In 2015, Molbio Diagnostics and Bigtec Labs merged, marking a new era in MedTech innovation. This strategic move transformed Bigtec into Molbio’s dedicated R&D wing, strengthening its diagnostics and technological development capabilities. With Bigtec driving innovation and Molbio ensuring rapid market adoption, they reinforce their shared vision of revolutionizing global healthcare.
In 2015, the H1N1 outbreak affected nearly 30,000 people in India. As a multi-disease real-time PCR, Truenat demonstrated its capabilities as a technology solution that can adapt itself to disease outbreaks within no time. With rapid and precise testing at the point of care, it played a crucial role in early diagnosis and containment, effectively cutting down the chain of transmission and becoming a silent warrior in the fight against the epidemic.
In 2016, India reeled under a massive outbreak of Chikungunya, with 64,057 confirmed cases across the country. Truenat, as a multi-disease platform, was utilized to deliver rapid results ensuring early detection and infection control, proving itself as an innovation that is adaptable and future-ready.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), after conducting multicentre validation of Truenat MTB and Truenat MTB-RIF Dx, recommended Truenat be incorporated in India’s National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) replacing sputum smear microscopy as the first test, setting a new standard for TB testing and response at the point of care.
In 2018, Truenat was recognized as an innovative solution in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). Andhra Pradesh, a state with a population of 50 million, was honored by the Indian Ministry of Health as the leading state in the battle against TB that successfully replaced traditional sputum smear microscopy with Molbio’s flagship product, Truenat. This public-private partnership established Truenat as a groundbreaking technology that transformed the country’s ability to detect and respond to TB early on.
The World Health Organization in 2020, recognized and endorsed Truenat as a frontline test for TB for three assays- Truenat MTB and Truenat MTB Plus- for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Truenat MTB-RIF Dx for identification of rifampicin resistance, the most commonly used first-line treatment.
As the world dealt with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Truenat, a multi-disease testing platform, swiftly adapted to the pandemic. Within a month of the outbreak, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved Truenat® Beta CoV as a recommended test for detecting COVID-19. With 12 million gold-standard RT-PCR tests conducted at numerous entry and exit points such as airports, inter-state bus terminus, and railway stations, Truenat enabled an effective response to the pandemic.
Truenat’s story continued with the Nipah outbreak in Kerala (India), where early diagnosis at the community level was pivotal. By detecting the disease at the outbreak stage, Truenat helped stop its spread, safeguarding countless lives.
Molbio, in its mission to decentralize healthcare with point-of-care technology, acquired Prognosys Medical Systems expanding its basket of cutting-edge solutions. The ultra-portable AI-powered digital X-Ray from Prognosys, combined with Molbio’s Truenat molecular RT-PCR platform offers an end-to-end solution for TB screening and diagnosis with a software that can seamlessly integrate with the country’s national health management information systems.
Truenat became part of innovations rolled out under the Introducing New Tools Project (iNTP), a collaboration between USAID, and the Stop TB Partnership across 11 TB high-burden countries. Molbio also began collaborating with the Global Fund, a multilateral funding agency for global health that pools the world’s resources to invest strategically in programs to fight major killers in low—and middle-income countries: HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. To date, Molbio holds long-term agreements with both the United Nations and the Global Fund allowing countries to quickly access its products.
Expanding its global footprint, Truenat became a part of public health programmes in 85+ countries, bringing accurate on-demand testing to the communities. Molbio also expanded its distributor network to support high-quality training and service delivery. From bustling cities to remote villages, the platform has become a symbol of hope and empowerment, transforming healthcare in the country and beyond.
Molbio recognizes the importance of a level playing field for innovations and introduced the EDGE Program- a program designed to bridge the critical gaps between innovation and market adoption for point-of-need diagnostic technologies by integrating experience, expertise, and state-of-the-art facilities. The program aims to foster collaboration with researchers, healthcare professionals, and industry leaders to accelerate groundbreaking technology solutions.
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