PT Usha: P T Usha, a member of the Rajya Sabha and president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), encouraged the federal government on Friday to support the “Make in India” campaign, which would boost transparency while lowering costs, by encouraging the development of domestic anti-doping testing equipment.

Usha brought up the matter in the Rajya Sabha, claiming that relying on “external agencies” and needing to import testing equipment leads to delayed findings.

According to a reliable source, Berlinger and LockCon, two Swiss businesses, are now the main providers of these testing kits to India.

“I want to bring this house’s urgent attention to a situation that impacts both our country’s reputation abroad and the integrity of our athletes. the need to support domestic anti-doping kit manufacturing under the “Made in India” campaign in order to help India become a drug-free sports country.

Doping is still a danger to fair play, athlete health, and our nation’s standing internationally. Currently, a large percentage of high-quality drug testing kits are imported, which raises costs, delays testing cycles, and increases reliance on outside organizations, she added.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that India must significantly improve its present doping record in order to qualify to host the Olympics in 2036.

India consistently ranks among the top five countries in the world for drug offenders and does a terrible job of combating the threat.

Her remarks follow Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s declaration a week ago that the administration is dedicated to extending anti-doping measures in answer to a query in the Upper House.

In comparison to the 7474 dope control tests conducted in 2024 and the 5794 tests conducted in 2023, the Minister said that NADA has significantly expanded its testing capability and that 7751 tests are scheduled for this year.

According to Usha, having domestic dope testing kits would be revolutionary, as it would promote research, production, and technological advancement, including sample collecting tools and portable detecting apparatus.