The Central India Institute of Medical Sciences – Advanced Research Centre (CIIMS-ARC), Nagpur, hosted a two-day national workshop titled “AMR-PCR Kit Development and Deployment: Standardizing Molecular Detection of Carbapenem Resistance” on 15th–16th April 2025. This high-impact event was conducted under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as part of its Centre for Capacity Building and Clinical Establishment (CCOE) initiative. This workshop was designed to tackle the urgent public health challenge posed by carbapenem-resistant organisms, one of the top threats in the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) landscape. With a focus on capacity building, the program aimed to strengthen diagnostic capabilities through standardised molecular methods, particularly multiplex end-point PCR (AMR-PCR) for the detection of key resistance genes including KPC, NDM, OXA-48, VIM, and IMP. The two-day event combined theory with practical application:

• Day 1 featured expert-led sessions on the biology of carbapenem resistance, PCR assay design, validation protocols, and implementation strategies across clinical and research domains.
• Day 2 offered an intensive hands-on training session where participants engaged in sample processing, nucleic acid extraction, PCR setup, and data interpretation, followed by a panel discussion and closing remarks from the CIIMS-ARC validation team.

The workshop witnessed enthusiastic participation from over 20 delegates, including postgraduate students, clinical microbiologists, researchers, and healthcare professionals
from Maharashtra and neighbouring states. The interactive sessions fostered rich discussions, peer learning, and future collaborations in the field of molecular diagnostics and AMR surveillance. By the end of the workshop, participants had gained not only technical know-how and laboratory experience, but also critical insights into regulatory and operational frameworks guiding AMR-PCR deployment in India. This initiative marks an important step forward in decentralising diagnostic capabilities and advancing the goals of India’s national AMR containment strategy.