IIT Bombay trio aims for Asia Book of Records with massive kidney screening drive

On World Kidney Day (March 13th), India is attempting to set a record—1 Lakh uACR tests with NeoDocs Kit in Type 2 Diabetes patients Pan India—a nationwide push to catch kidney disease before it’s too late. This initiative is backed by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Diabetes India, and Bayer, along with NeoDocs, an IIT Bombay Alumni Startup.

The need for urgent action is clear. Every 10 minutes, one Indian dies from kidney disease. In India, kidney disease is a growing concern, with over 200,000 new patients requiring dialysis every year. The financial burden of dialysis on a family is staggering, with annual costs exceeding ₹5 lakhs.

Diabetes and hypertension patients are at high risk of developing kidney disease, with 44 per cent of diabetic patients and 28 per cent of hypertensive patients likely to develop kidney damage. Early detection is key, and the current lack of accessible screening solutions exacerbates the problem.

Three alumni from IIT Bombay and Co founders of Neodocs, Nikunj Malpani, Anurag Meena, and Pratik Lodha, have devised an innovative solution using smartphone technology to transform kidney health screening in India, making a kidney health test as simple as clicking a selfie.

The test requires the user to dip the test cartridge in urine, click a photo, and upload it to the NeoDocs app.The release claims that the user receives lab-like results in 30 seconds, which can be shared with doctors via WhatsApp. The innovators claim that this technology has the potential to save countless lives, making kidney health screening more accessible and affordable.

Institutions like Diabetes India supported by Union Minister in Government of India Dr Jitendra Singh have reportedly partnered with this project to bring this solution to a wider audience.