Indian manufacturers of the RT-PCR kits used for Covid-19 diagnosis are set to export their products to markets such as Latin America, East Asia and Eastern Europe, after the Indian government allowed restricted shipment of these kits earlier this week.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has fixed export quotas for viral transport media kits (VTM kits) and RT-PCR kits including swabs.

India has a manufacturing capacity of 1 billion RT-PCR kits. The country on an average is doing daily testing of 600,000 samples. The decision of allowing limited exports of these kits was taken after diagnostic companies complained that their stocks were unpicked by state governments, leaving them with surplus inventory.

The directorate has fixed the export quota of VTM kits at 23.8 million and PCR kits of 10 million for August. Companies such as Mylab and Huwel Lifesciences are also expected to apply for export licenses.