Agilus Diagnostics, the diagnostics network formerly known as SRL, has opened its Mumbai reference laboratory to a Scottish government delegation to demonstrate an AI-driven microbial identification platform that could help Indian labs spot drug-resistant infections faster. Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for Scotland, visited the company’s Goregaon facility in a programme facilitated by the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai.

The centrepiece of the visit was a live demonstration of technology from Edinburgh-based Microbira Limited, which is already installed in Agilus’s Microbiology Department. The two sides also discussed Microbira’s plans for the Indian market and possible areas of collaboration in diagnostic technology and research.

What the technology does

Microbira’s platform, MAAP-IR, uses artificial intelligence to identify microorganisms from an infrared (FTIR) spectrum of a cultured sample. According to the company, it can identify a pathogen in under three minutes once a pure culture is available, and has been validated against more than 35 clinically relevant bacteria and yeasts, including all six ESKAPE pathogens that drive many hospital-acquired, drug-resistant infections.

• Under 3 minutes from pure culture to identification, as per Microbira
• 35+ organisms in the current validated library, covering over 80% of the WHO’s bacterial priority pathogens
• Reagent-free workflow with predictable per-test costs
• Registered as UKCA IVD software as a medical device, with ISO 13485 certification

Faster identification matters because clinicians often start broad-spectrum antibiotics while waiting for lab results. Cutting that wait can support earlier, targeted treatment and help curb the misuse of antibiotics that fuels antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of India’s most pressing public-health challenges.

What was said

“India’s diagnostics sector presents significant opportunities for growth and innovation. Engagements with international technology companies can help bring advanced capabilities to India and assess their relevance to local healthcare needs,” said Vijender Singh, MD and CEO, Agilus Diagnostics.

Douglas Alexander said India and Scotland have an opportunity to work together on antimicrobial resistance through research and innovation, adding that the visit showed the potential of rapid microbial testing “to help tackle infections faster.”

Dr Deepak Sanghavi, Senior Vice President Operations and Chief of the Mumbai Reference Lab at Agilus, said collaboration with international innovators can help evaluate solutions that meet clinical needs “while maintaining the quality and operational rigour required for diagnostic testing at scale.”

A larger UK-India diagnostics push

The Scotland Office has flagged a potential £10 million export opportunity for Microbira in India’s diagnostics market. Agilus has clarified, however, that the commercial scope of any collaboration, including investment commitments, has not yet been finalised.

The visit comes days after Agilus hosted nine UK diagnostics companies at the same Goregaon facility on 26 October under the UK-India Diagnostic Cohort programme, part of a wider effort to bring British diagnostic innovators closer to large Indian laboratory networks.

Why it matters

For India’s high-volume reference labs, the case for AI-led tools rests on speed, cost per test and how easily they slot into existing workflows. A reagent-free, minutes-long identification step could ease turnaround pressure in microbiology departments, but its real-world value will depend on clinical validation against Indian pathogen profiles and on pricing that works at Indian scale. How Agilus takes the evaluation forward will be watched closely by hospital labs grappling with rising AMR.

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