Whole genome sequencing cost in India is comparatively cheaper than the cost in the west. The recent recession has played a role in the downward trend of the global sequencing activity. Some institutes have delayed the roll out of their services. Many institutes have also been forced to cut down on research and development budgets. The current economic downturn is a factor that has been playing a role in the decision making process of sequencing activities.
The benefits of hiring of experts from an Indian institute include a better cost base. The cost of sequencing has been coming down steadily in developed countries like the US and UK. The variation in the price for sequencing per sample in these countries can be as much as 20%. In India, the prices are much lower than the costs in developed countries. It is very easy to find sequencers that suit your budget.
Genomics organizations prefer outsourcing their exome sequencing and assembly projects from the Indian suppliers because of the quality control procedures followed at the workshops. There are numerous institutes located all over the country. However, it is important to ensure that you are hiring an authentic and established sequencing center.
Genomics companies mostly source their equipments from Indian suppliers. The primary reason behind this is the low cost of labor in India. Another reason is that the government of India offers subsidies to various companies for procuring equipments. It is not just the low cost of labor that drives companies to outsource their sequencing projects to Indian suppliers. It is also because of the legal agreements between the companies and the Indian government that have led to the reduction in the overall expense of the project.
A sequencing center in India can provide exome sequencing as well as transcriptomic sequencing at a much lower price than what it costs in the USA and Europe. It has been observed that sequencing centers based in India are able to provide the same quality as those located in Europe and the United States. This is because of the excellent training methods and high standards maintained by these Indian centers.
The other advantage of clinical sequencing cost to India is that they save a lot of money on the overhead expenses of the organization. The personnel employed by the outsourcing company are skilled and highly educated. Therefore, the organization does not incur additional expenditure on salaries and benefits. This also means savings on utilities and insurance. There is also less expenditure on purchasing sequencing equipment because of the reduced consumption of power and fuel.
Another advantage of clinical exome sequencing work is that there are lesser hassles. There are several constraints that are encountered at the hands of sequencing centers located in different parts of the country. For instance, it may be difficult to get the staff situated in the right location, and so the job may have to be completed at a later time when the staff is in the particular location. The sequencing centers are also limited in terms of their capacity to process different kinds of DNA. As a result, delays in sequencing results are very common.
In conclusion, we can conclude that the current trend of business is moving towards in-house sequencing centers. This is because it is cheaper than exome sequencing at a fraction of the cost. Also, it guarantees higher quality and timely arrival of finished product. The use of in-house facilities would also mean lesser expenditure on maintaining in-house facilities and staff. This would ultimately lead to cost reductions in the long run.
