SpiceJet founders foray into cut-price COVID-19 testing, offer RT-PCR at Rs 499

Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of low-cost carrier SpiceJet

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26 Aug, 2025 12:21

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SpiceHealth, a health care company founded by the promoters of SpiceJet, announced on November 23 that it would conduct Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test - known as the most decisive and crucial for COVID-19 testing - starting at Rs. 499 only.

Also, the company claimed that the report would be available within just 6 hours from the time of sample collection as compared to the average 24-48 hours – the time committed for similar test reports at present.

The RT-PCR is the most commonly used and the most accurate COVID test worldwide.

SpiceHealth, led by Avani Singh, said it had partnered with GeneStore for the most affordable and fastest RT-PCR testing facility in the country.

The announcement came on the same day as Maharashtra made RT-PCR test mandatory for people travelling from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and to the state. 

SpiceHealth has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Council of Medical Research for setting up testing facilities and collection centres across the nation as a Make-In-India initiative. To begin, the first testing facility has been set up at the ICMR, AIIMS in Delhi.

Each testing laboratory will have the capacity to process 3,000 test reports-a-day to start with, the company said, adding a significant proportion of the tests will be conducted in collaboration with agencies of the Government of India and state governments.

The testing kits and laboratory facilities have been certified by the ICMR and the mobile laboratories have been duly accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, it said.

"Today is a momentous day for all of us at SpiceHealth as we take this crucial step towards ensuring affordable Covid-19 testing to as many Indians as possible. Despite being the world’s second most affected country by COVID-19, with over 9 million reported cases so far, India has found it challenging to scale up RT-PCR testing for the virus. We are proud to be able to contribute to our country’s efforts to fight this global pandemic,” Avani Singh, CEO of the firm, said.

"By offering RT-PCR test at a fraction of the current price, ensuring a much faster turnaround time of just six hours, and deploying mobile laboratories which are easily transportable to the remotest areas, we hope to significantly scale up testing across the country, Singh added.

Anubhav Sinha, Global CEO of GeneStore, said: "This joint venture ensures the large scale availability of highly affordable infectious disease diagnostics in India. The complete backward integration from manufacturing to testing has enabled this partnership to transfer the cost-benefit to the end consumer in this critical time where accessibility to Gold-Standard-Testing is highly critical."

SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said, "Just as ‘affordable flying’ has been the constant endeavour of SpiceJet, facilitating affordable, quick and easily available medical solutions is the constant endeavour of SpiceHealth. Taking a Covid-19 test should be as easy as visiting a neighbourhood store, while ensuring utmost safety, and that is exactly what we are aiming to build at SpiceHealth. Facilitating affordable and easily accessible Covid testing facilities will go a long way in restoring normalcy in the country and building a stronger India.”

SpiceHealth follows the launch of SpiceOxy – a compact, portable, non-invasive ventilation device, which is an effective solution for patients with mild to moderate breathing issues.

Additionally, SpiceJet has also introduced fingertip pulse oximeter, a handy device making it easier for people to measure the oxygen level of the blood.