Punjab Biotechnology Incubator under Department of Science, Technology and Environment Govt of Punjab, having an NABL accredited analytical facility in Food, Water, Agriculture and Environment sectors with strength in RT-PCR based Molecular Diagnostics was chosen by State Government for strengthening to enhance State’s COVID-19 testing capacity to fight with this global pandemic.PBTI’s Viral Diagnostic Laboratory for COVID-19 with a well planned infrastructure and Hi-end equipment set up on an area of more than 1000 sft with the support from Department of Medical Education & Research and Baba Farid University of Health Sciences was inaugurated today by Medical Education & Research Minister Punjab Mr. O P Soni and Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu in the presence of Sh Alok Shekhar IAS PSSTE, Sh DK Tewari IAS, PSMER, Dr Raj Bahadur, VC BFUHS and other dignitaries.The ministers congratulated Sh Alok Shekhar and his team on this occasion and encouraged the staff with their motivational words.Sh Alok Shekahr informed that the laboratory has become fully operational and has started analyzing the samples after getting ICMR approval . Dr Ajit Dua, CEO PBTI informed that starting with 100 samples per day, the testing shall be ramped up to 1000 samples per day as soon as the automated RNA extraction system is commissioned. The support provided by PPCB and Wipro Limited in terms of Hi-end equipment and PPE kits was acknowledged with thanks during the ceremony.It is pertinent to mention here that PBTI a 1st of its kind comprehensive Public Sector facility is providing State-of-the-Art Analytical services to Industries, Exporters, Traders, Farmers, Bee keepers, Entrepreneurs, Start-ups and Regulators of the country in general and Punjab in particular since 2007. Over the period it has earned various National and State level recognitions and status of National Referral Laboratory by different ministries including notification as Referral Laboratory by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI and as National Referral Laboratory for LMO/GMO detection by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, GoI. It has also established International linkages in niche areas like Food authenticity. Taking note of the strengths of PBTI, the state Govt has notified it as State Analytical Agency in its targeted sectors.PBTI’s committed team provided an exemplary support to Food Exporters and Processors of the state and adjoining areas during COVID-19 Curfew in the state by providing essential analytical services which was applauded by PSSTE.