Decoding Diagnostics: Innovation, Access, and AI in India’s Evolving Lab Landscape

Shahid Akhter, Consulting Editor, FEHealthcare, spoke to Dr. Anand K, Managing Director & CEO at Agilus Diagnostics, to know more about the tech enabled solutions impacting smaller towns and how cutting edge tests are redefining India's diagnostic sector.

 

 

India’s diagnostic sector is transforming through digital tools, AI, public-private partnerships, and hub-and-spoke models. Agilus Diagnostics leads this change with cutting-edge tests like D-DISH and genomics expansion. As demand grows in smaller towns, tech-enabled solutions and network-driven access are bridging gaps and pushing Indian diagnostics toward a predictive, patient-first future.

 What are the key elements needed to build a scalable and robust diagnostic infrastructure in India? How are networks, digital tools, and public-private partnerships shaping this transformation?

India's diagnostic infrastructure is at a tipping point, and three pillars are critical for building a scalable and resilient system: sturdy networks, smart digitalisation, and efficient public-private collaboration.

A hub-and-spoke model enables centralised expertise while ensuring decentralised accessibility, improving both reach and cost efficiency. Digital tools like telepathology, remote sample tracking, and AI-driven analytics are transforming diagnostics by enhancing speed, accuracy, and transparency.

Meanwhile, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are proving critical, especially in underpenetrated geographies. By leveraging private sector innovation with public sector reach, PPPs are promoting fair access to high-quality diagnostic services.  These components working together are making it possible for India to have a systematic, patient-centered, and outcome-oriented diagnostic ecosystem.

Expanding diagnostics into Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions presents both challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, demand for affordable, preventive healthcare is growing rapidly. On the other hand, there are challenges, ranging from infrastructure limitations and logistical complexities to shortages in skilled personnel.

However, these gaps can be bridged. Quality diagnostics are now available even in remote areas thanks to scalable network models, mobile phlebotomy services, and technology-enabled reporting. Nationwide logistics and digital health adoption are also enabling price parity and advanced test availability across geographies. The opportunity lies in using innovation to improve healthcare access for all.

 

 

 

What are some of the most recent tests or markers that Agilus has introduced? How do evolving clinical needs reflect rising consumer awareness?

Agilus continues to introduce advanced diagnostics in line with both clinical evolution and growing consumer awareness. We've significantly expanded our genomics portfolio, including pharmacogenomics, allowing clinicians to customise drug therapy based on a patient’s genetic makeup. To further enhance our precision oncology capabilities, we have also included Lucence's patented liquid biopsy technology and unveiled Claudin 18.2, a novel marker for pancreatic and stomach malignancies.

With increasing awareness around early detection and personalised medicine, we’re seeing a rising demand for such high-end diagnostics. We've also shortened our oncology reporting turnaround to three days in order to facilitate this, giving clinicians handling high-risk situations quicker access to insights.

 

 

How is artificial intelligence influencing diagnostic accuracy, turnaround times, or workflow efficiency? Are Indian labs ready for AI-driven diagnostics at scale?

AI is very rapidly transforming diagnostic operations from sample triage and digital pathology to workflow automation and decision support. It greatly increases turnaround time and resource efficiency while improving accuracy and lowering human error.

Many Tier 1 and metro-based labs are already adopting AI across different functions. However, scaling this across the industry will require greater regulatory clarity, infrastructure investment, and tech literacy.

AI will enable labs to move from reactive to predictive diagnostics; however, industry-wide transformation will be dependent on creating a larger and digitally equipped ecosystem to facilitate this shift.

 

 Can you describe D-DISH, your newest offering? What makes it a differentiator in the diagnostic ecosystem, and how has the market responded so far?

D-DISH (Dual-colour Dual-Hapten In Situ Hybridisation) is one of Agilus Diagnostics’ most recent innovations, launched specifically to address the complexities of HER2 equivocal breast cancer diagnosis. With 98% concordance with the gold-standard FISH method, D-DISH offers faster turnaround, reducing reporting time by up to two days and removing the need for fluorescence microscopy, making it both more accessible and easier to interpret. It also offers superior archival quality and minimal inter-observer variability, enabling pathologists to count signals more confidently in critical invasive foci.

The test has already been adopted by major cancer centres, including Tata Memorial, Apollo (Chennai), Manipal, and Cytecare (Bengaluru), with a good market response. Clinicians appreciate the combination of diagnostic precision, operational ease, and clinical relevance, particularly in time-sensitive oncology settings.