Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics, one of Eastern India’s most trusted healthcare providers, is making a significant advancement in precision medicine with the launch of its state-of-the-art Genomics Lab. The clinic has initiated an investment of Rs 22 crore, with an additional Rs 46 crore planned over the next two years. This investment aims to democratize access to advanced genetic testing in a region that has traditionally relied on metro cities and international laboratories for such services.

Leading this transformative initiative is Dr. Somnath Chatterjee, Chairman and Joint Managing Director of Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics. Under his leadership, Suraksha has expanded to 50 fully equipped branches. With the introduction of its genomics initiative, the organisation is positioning itself as a comprehensive technology hub for diagnostics.

In an interview with MedTech Spectrum, Dr. Chatterjee discusses Suraksha’s strategic vision and the unique strengths of its Genomics Lab. He elaborates on how the company is pioneering innovation in onco-genomics, prenatal testing, and rare disease diagnostics. Additionally, he addresses the challenges of affordability and awareness, outlining how Suraksha is preparing to shape the future of personalised medicine across Eastern and Northeastern India.

Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics has made a significant investment of Rs 22 crore, with plans for an additional Rs 46 crore over the next two years. What was the strategic vision behind establishing such a large-scale genomics facility in Eastern India?

Strategic vision behind investing Rs 22 crore, with Rs 46 crore more in the next two years
Suraksha has always believed in democratizing access to advanced diagnostics in Eastern India. Genomics today is no longer just a research tool; it is central to preventive, predictive, and personalised healthcare. However, most patients and clinicians in Eastern and Northeastern India have had to depend on labs in metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, or even abroad for such testing.

By investing Rs 22 crore upfront and earmarking Rs 46 crore more, our vision is clear:

To build the most advanced and comprehensive genomics facility in Eastern India.

To reduce dependency on external labs by providing world-class testing locally, ensuring faster turnaround times.

To make genomic testing affordable and accessible, integrating it into routine diagnostics for clinicians across specialities, from obstetrics and paediatrics to oncology and neurology.

To build a strong foundation for preventive healthcare in this region, where genetic conditions are often underdiagnosed or detected late.

How does Suraksha’s new Genomics Lab differentiate itself from other facilities in India in terms of technology, scale, and service offerings?

Differentiation of Suraksha’s new Genomics Lab from other facilities in India
Suraksha’s Genomics Lab stands apart in three major ways:

Technology: We have invested in cutting-edge platforms such as Illumina NextSeq 2000 for high-throughput sequencing, along with advanced microarray and qPCR systems. This enables us to cover the entire spectrum of genomics, prenatal testing, oncology, rare disease, infectious disease genomics, and pharmacogenomics.

Scale: Unlike many labs offering fragmented services, we have built a comprehensive genomics hub under one roof. This is backed by Suraksha’s strong diagnostic network across Eastern India, which ensures consistent sample inflow, logistics, and last-mile clinician engagement.

Service Offerings: Our menu is broad, ranging from prenatal tests (karyotyping, QF-PCR, FISH, microarray, NIPT) to oncology panels, whole exome sequencing, and carrier screening. We also bring expertise in preventable cancers, leveraging genomics for early detection and family-based risk assessment. Importantly, we are focusing on turnaround time and affordability, which remain critical differentiators for doctors and patients.

Genomics is reshaping preventive and personalised medicine globally. What role do you envision Suraksha playing in driving precision diagnostics in India, particularly in underserved regions such as Eastern and Northeastern India?

Suraksha’s role in driving precision diagnostics in India, particularly in underserved regions
Genomics is transforming medicine, but access remains limited in India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, especially in Eastern and Northeastern states. Suraksha’s extensive diagnostic footprint, built over three decades, gives us a unique opportunity to bridge this gap.

We plan to mainstream genomics into daily clinical practice, whether it is using microarray for unexplained developmental delays in children, NIPT for safer pregnancies, or germline mutation panels in oncology.

By training clinicians and running awareness programs, we want to empower doctors to utilise genomics in patient management.

We aim to become a referral hub for the entire Eastern and Northeastern belt, serving states like Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya.

Ultimately, our role is not just as a testing laboratory, but as a partner in advancing precision medicine in regions where such services were previously inaccessible.

Your lab pioneers advanced hereditary cancer testing and mutation profiling. How do you envision onco-genomics impacting early detection, risk assessment, and treatment personalisation in the Indian healthcare ecosystem?

Onco-genomics can significantly impact early detection, risk assessment, and treatment personalisation in the Indian healthcare ecosystem.

It can help in

Early Detection: Identifying genetic predispositions or early markers for cancer, enabling proactive screening.

Risk Assessment: Providing personalised risk profiles based on an individual's genetic structure, allowing for targeted preventative measures.

Treatment Personalisation is also there as Guiding treatment decisions by identifying specific mutations that respond to certain therapies, leading to more effective and less toxic treatments.

Genetic testing during pregnancy can bring emotional and ethical challenges for families. How does Suraksha support expectant parents in navigating these sensitive decisions?

Genetic testing during pregnancy can present significant emotional and ethical dilemmas for families. Suraksha, focused on maternal and child health, would support expectant parents by counselling, navigating their expectations. Ethical guidance is there as it facilitates discussions around the ethical considerations of genetic testing, such as selective termination, and helps parents align their decisions with their personal values and beliefs.

With rapid advances in genomics, what emerging technologies or approaches do you foresee becoming part of routine prenatal care in the coming years?

In the coming years, routine prenatal care is expected to incorporate advanced tests, offering more comprehensive noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to detect a broader spectrum of genetic conditions, including single-gene and structural variants. Emerging tools like long-read sequencing and RNA sequencing will further enhance diagnostic capabilities by identifying complex variants and providing complementary functional data.

Advanced genetic testing often raises concerns around affordability and awareness among patients and physicians. How is Suraksha addressing these challenges to make genomics more accessible?

Awareness is very important so Suraksha may be providing educational resources and materials for patients and healthcare providers. Also implementing training programs for physicians on interpreting and recommending genetic tests.

With the upcoming Rs 46 crore expansion, what key advancements or services can we expect from Suraksha’s Genomics Lab in the next 24 months?

Upcoming Rs 46 crore expansion—what to expect in the next 24 months
Our expansion plan is ambitious and future-ready. Over the next two years, Suraksha Genomics will:

Expand into oncology genomics, offering comprehensive NGS-based panels for solid tumours, haematological malignancies, and liquid biopsy solutions.

Scale up rare disease diagnostics, including whole exome sequencing and clinical genome interpretation, supported by bioinformatics pipelines and genetic counselling.

Integrate AI-driven bioinformatics to improve variant annotation, reporting speed, and clinical relevance.

Build a dedicated translational research wing in collaboration with academic institutions to bring global advances into clinical practice.

Launch preventive genomics programs, such as population-based carrier screening and pharmacogenomics to support India’s long-term preventive healthcare roadmap.

This expansion will ensure Suraksha Genomics becomes not just Eastern India’s largest genomics facility, but a national centre of excellence, contributing to India’s leadership in precision medicine.

Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics is the only diagnostic centre with 50 fully equipped branches. With the introduction of Genomics and a “man-to-lab” approach, Suraksha has truly become a one-stop technology destination.

Regular interactions with doctors, scientists, and technical experts across different centres make Suraksha more accessible and trusted within society. This unique model positions Suraksha as the only centre that can genuinely be called a one-stop technology hub.