Director's Desk

Dr Naveen Kumar, PhD
Director,
ICMR-NIV, Pune

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It gives me immense pleasure to present the remarkable achievements and significant milestones accomplished by the ICMR-National Institute of Virology over the past two years. The NIV is an apex institute in the area of virology and has shown commitment during crises and emergencies such as those seen during COVID-19. It has shown remarkable responses to outbreak investigations and the diagnosis of newly emerging and existing viral diseases. The NIV is also extending its research support to neighboring countries in terms of capacity building, sharing diagnostic resources and facilities, surveillance, and outbreak investigations, as and when required.

We began the year 2022, with a momentous occasion—the inauguration of the 'Mobile BSL-3 Laboratory'. This state-of-the-art facility symbolizes our commitment to indigenous innovation and preparedness for combating infectious diseases. The mobile BSL-3 laboratory was validated and field trials were conducted in Maharashtra and Kerala in 2023. It is a testament to our dedication to ensuring rapid and effective responses to emerging health threats.

ICMR-NIV continued to play a pivotal role in the fight against COVID-19. In the last two years, we screened over eight lakh clinical samples for SARS-CoV-2, providing critical data for epidemiological surveillance and control measures. The institute served as a central and regional depot for the storage, validation, and distribution of diagnostic reagents, ensuring quality control for laboratories nationwide. Furthermore, we dispatched the WHO SARS-CoV-2 EQAS panel to 649 laboratories across the country, enhancing testing capabilities and standardization. Genomic surveillance efforts yielded valuable insights into the evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Analysis of nearly 20,000 Indian SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences revealed the predominance of the Omicron BA.2 lineage. We have conducted virus isolation and characterization studies on various variants of concern (VOCs) and variants under monitoring (VUMs), contributing to their implications in public health.

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