India’s NIPT Testing Market Driven by Demand for Non-Invasive Genetic Assessments

Demand for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is surging in India, thanks largely to various factors: a desire to delay pregnancy, more pregnancy-related complications in the second- or third trimester, and an increasing number of doctors opting for advanced genetic testing for high-risk pregnancies, according to GlobalData, a worldwide data and analytics firm. 

The NIPT market in India declined in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the market is expected to recover completely this year with growth returning from 2022 onwards. The NIPT market is highly fragmented in India with Medgenome Labs Ltd., LifeCell, Dr. Lal PathLabs, and Eurofins Scientific being the major players.

Gopinadh Gundreddy, a medical devices analyst at GlobalData, commented: “NIPT, which uses cell-free DNA circulating in maternal blood as attendant collects blood samples from the arm which leaves no scope of harm to the fetus, is safe as well as a crucial test for pregnant women.”
 
The specificity and sensitivity of NIPT is high and the test reduces the overall need for invasive testing as several pregnant women are uncomfortable with invasive testing because of its physical discomfort and associated risks such as procedure-induced miscarriage, limb deficiencies, vaginal bleeding and infection.
 
Mr Gopinadh said: “In 2020, NIPT accounted for more than 11 percent of the prenatal screening tests market in India. Introducing NIPT into routine prenatal care, educating patients through genetic counseling and making NIPT available in remote areas will further boost its adoption in India. The acceptance and utility of NIPT test will be greater if the test can be made more economical or the tests get subsidized by the government.”

GlobalData’s report, “Prenatal Screening Tests (In Vitro Diagnostics) – Global Market Analysis and Forecast Model (COVID-19 Market Impact),” reveals that NIPT tests market in India is expected to exceed $20 million in 2025.