The IIT Alumni Council has announced elimination of Chinese systems and software in all its initiatives, including MegaLab. For data security, privacy and assured data integrity, the IIT Alumni Council will facilitate the design of a Blockchain protected public cloud infrastructure to handle real-time Covid diagnostic and treatment data.

Research and relevant public policy data will also be uploaded on the blockchain protected public Cloud system for sharing among the authorised users.

All Chinese systems and software used in the RTPCR industry will be removed with immediate effect and replaced by indigenous technologies.

The Council has been working actively for the last few weeks with various Technical Institutes of Excellence and research institutions for developing indigenous and cost-effective solutions to replace the Chinese systems and software.

These include an initiative with IIT Roorkee to recycle all the plastic disposables used in the RTPCR process, including viral sample tubes, sample plates and pipette tips which are consumed in large quantities adding to bio hazardous waste challenges as well as hard currency imports.

Similarly, ICT Mumbai is supporting work on designing and piloting an indigenous technology line with indigenous capital goods for mass production of the RTPCR 2.0 test kits to be used in the MegaLab.

"In support of the Indian government's ban on Chinese apps, the IIT Alumni Council is announcing an immediate ban on Chinese systems and software for all its initiatives, including MegaLab. We had already started work for indigenous development of requisite systems and software after the appeal of Prime Minister for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

"We are very confident that we shall be able to present world class systems and software with support of the global IIT Alumni community as well as partner institutions like the Mumbai University and the ICT Mumbai which are known for their technology supremacy worldwide. We hope to compete with China head-on in markets around the world," said Ravi Sharma, President and Chief Volunteer of the IIT Alumni Council (IANS)