3 weeks ago
Govt clarifies ₹882-crore Truenat tender is for existing machines
Tuberculosis, or TB, is a serious lung sickness that can spread from person to person.
To find TB quickly, doctors in India use special machines that test a small sample and look for the germs.
India has more than 9,000 of these machines, called Truenat.
The government wanted to buy supplies, called test chips, for these machines and announced a plan worth 882 crore rupees.
Some people worried that naming the Truenat brand was not fair, since other brands could do the same job.
The government explained that it was only buying supplies for machines that are already in hospitals, not picking a winner.
It also said that some other test kits cannot check whether the TB is the strong kind that needs different medicine.
Finding out early if TB is drug-resistant is very important so patients get the right treatment.
The government says this buying plan will help keep the machines working as it works to end TB in India.
The Union Health Ministry issued a ₹882-crore tender for Truenat MTB chips under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
The ministry clarified the tender is a rate contract for consumables for more than 9,000 Truenat machines already deployed, not a technology selection.
Concerns arose because the tender names Truenat specifically rather than using generic technical specifications that would allow competing products.
ICMR assessed four molecular TB diagnostic technologies: GenXpert/CBNAAT, Truenat, PathoDetect and Quantiplus.
Quantiplus, validated in 2025, detects TB but not drug resistance, so the ministry said it cannot directly replace existing NTEP NAAT platforms.
- Who
- The Union Health Ministry issued the tender; the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) assessed the diagnostic technologies.
- What
- A ₹882-crore tender for Truenat MTB chips for TB detection, clarified as a rate contract for consumables for existing machines rather than a technology selection.
- Where
- India, across the public health system under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
- When
- The clarification was published on August 12, 2026; Truenat was introduced in 2020.
- Why
- To ensure a steady supply of compatible consumables for over 9,000 installed Truenat machines as TB screening is intensified under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
Tender critics
Union Health Ministry
Technology selection vs. consumable procurement
Tender critics
The tender specifies Truenat by name rather than generic technical specifications, which could prevent other products meeting the performance parameters from competing.
Union Health Ministry
The procurement is only a rate contract for consumables for more than 9,000 Truenat machines already installed, not a fresh exercise to select a technology.
Quantiplus as a competitive alternative
Tender critics
Quantiplus, validated in 2025 by ICMR and CDSCO, is a newer option that could potentially serve unmet diagnostic needs and merits direct cost comparison.
Union Health Ministry
In its approved form Quantiplus only detects TB and does not test drug resistance, so it cannot be a direct replacement for existing NTEP NAAT platforms.
Concerns of favouritism
Tender critics
Naming Truenat in the tender raises questions about whether the process favours a particular manufacturer.
Union Health Ministry
The ministry maintains the tender was not designed to favour any manufacturer; it exists to support the existing Truenat infrastructure.
Key facts
- Tender value
- ₹882 crore
- Machines covered
- More than 9,000 Truenat machines already deployed
- Programme
- National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP)
- Truenat introduction
- 2020, following ICMR recommendations
- Technologies assessed by ICMR
- GenXpert/CBNAAT, Truenat, PathoDetect, Quantiplus
- Quantiplus validation year
- 2025
- Quantiplus limitation
- Detects TB but not drug resistance
- Drug-resistance testing
- Truenat and PathoDetect detect MTB with rifampicin resistance
Quotes
Union Health Ministry official
Representative of India's Union Health Ministry
“"This is important because drug‑sensitive TB is generally treated with standard first‑line drugs, while drug‑resistant TB requires a different combination of medicines. Failure to identify resistance early can result in ineffective treatment and continued transmission."”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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