Mumbai Mirror: Mumbai: Wednesday, 8th July 2026.
Days after a Mirror exposé on blood plasma being sent out of Mumbai’s government hospitals triggered an official inquiry, an RTI query has revealed that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, has sold over 1,000 litres of surplus plasma collected from voluntary donors.
The commercial
exploitation of this priceless blood component has been going on since 2023,
earning the institution over Rs 16.44 lakh, the RTI application has revealed.
AIIMS Nagpur, however, did not disclose the identity of the recipient
organisation or if approvals were taken for the sale, leaving key aspects of
the transactions outside public scrutiny.
The information was furnished in response to an RTI application filed by Mumbai-based activist Chetan Kothari on June 7, 2026.
In its reply dated July 7, AIIMS Nagpur’s Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) and Administrative Officer, Shabbir Sheikh, confirmed that the institute’s blood bank, operational since June 14, 2022, has regularly supplied surplus FFP to outside clinics.
The documents show that 10 consignments were dispatched between March 2023 and October 2025, each priced at Rs 1,600 per litre. Collectively, the 10 consignments accounted for more than 1,000 litres of surplus plasma and generated revenue of Rs 16,44,523.20. AIIMS also clarified that the supplies were made for monetary consideration rather than through an in-kind exchange, with the proceeds credited to the institute’s Bank of Baroda account.
While the records establish the volume of plasma supplied and the revenue earned, they reveal little about the administrative framework governing the transactions.
The RTI applicant sought the identity of the organisation that received the plasma, along with copies of the administrative approvals authorising the supplies. AIIMS declined both requests, invoking Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act and stating that the information related to a third party and could not be disclosed.
The reply leaves unanswered who received the plasma collected from voluntary blood donors, how the recipient was selected and under what administrative approval the supplies were authorised.
Responding to queries from Mumbai Mirror, a Maharashtra State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) official said the council would examine why the recipient’s identity had not been disclosed.
“We will look into the matter and ascertain the reasons for not disclosing the name. We will seek the necessary information from AIIMS Nagpur and examine whether the reply is in accordance with the applicable provisions,” the official said.
Vijay Nayak, deputy director, AIIMS, did not respond to Mirror’s requests for comment till press time.
The RTI records also raise questions about the selection process. Asked whether any tender had been floated before the supplies were made, AIIMS responded: “Nil.”
The documents do not indicate whether any competitive process was followed, whether multiple eligible plasma fractionators were considered, how the recipient was identified, or the basis on which the uniform price of Rs 1,600 per litre was fixed. They are also silent on the duration and terms of the arrangement.
The records provide a rare glimpse into a little-known segment of India’s blood supply chain, where surplus Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), no longer required for transfusion, is transferred to licensed plasma fractionation facilities for the manufacture of plasma-derived medicines such as albumin, immunoglobulins and clotting factor concentrates.
Under India’s regulatory framework, licensed blood banks are permitted to transfer surplus plasma that is no longer required for clinical transfusion to authorised plasma fractionation facilities. Instead of being discarded, the plasma is processed into plasma-derived medicinal products used in the treatment of burns, trauma, immune deficiencies, haemophilia and several other serious medical conditions.
PLASMA TRAIL OUT OF AIIMS, NAGPUR
AIIMS supplied:
128.02 litres on March 15, 2023. Price: Rs 2,04,832
86.80 litres on June 19, 2023. Price: Rs 1,38,880
93.669 litres on September 22, 2023. Price: Rs 1,49,870
64.641 litres on October 27, 2023. Price: Rs 1,03,425
92.427 litres on February 22, 2024. Price: Rs 1,47,883
86.669 litres on May 24, 2024. Price: for Rs 1,38,670
117.272 litres on August 30, 2024. Price: Rs 1,87,635
155.534 litres on January 21, 2025. Price: Rs 2,48,854
106.281 litres on August 19, 2025. Price: Rs 1,70,049
96.514 litres on October 28, 2025. Price: Rs 1,54,422
Days after a Mirror exposé on blood plasma being sent out of Mumbai’s government hospitals triggered an official inquiry, an RTI query has revealed that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, has sold over 1,000 litres of surplus plasma collected from voluntary donors.
The information was furnished in response to an RTI application filed by Mumbai-based activist Chetan Kothari on June 7, 2026.
In its reply dated July 7, AIIMS Nagpur’s Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) and Administrative Officer, Shabbir Sheikh, confirmed that the institute’s blood bank, operational since June 14, 2022, has regularly supplied surplus FFP to outside clinics.
The documents show that 10 consignments were dispatched between March 2023 and October 2025, each priced at Rs 1,600 per litre. Collectively, the 10 consignments accounted for more than 1,000 litres of surplus plasma and generated revenue of Rs 16,44,523.20. AIIMS also clarified that the supplies were made for monetary consideration rather than through an in-kind exchange, with the proceeds credited to the institute’s Bank of Baroda account.
While the records establish the volume of plasma supplied and the revenue earned, they reveal little about the administrative framework governing the transactions.
The RTI applicant sought the identity of the organisation that received the plasma, along with copies of the administrative approvals authorising the supplies. AIIMS declined both requests, invoking Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act and stating that the information related to a third party and could not be disclosed.
The reply leaves unanswered who received the plasma collected from voluntary blood donors, how the recipient was selected and under what administrative approval the supplies were authorised.
Responding to queries from Mumbai Mirror, a Maharashtra State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) official said the council would examine why the recipient’s identity had not been disclosed.
“We will look into the matter and ascertain the reasons for not disclosing the name. We will seek the necessary information from AIIMS Nagpur and examine whether the reply is in accordance with the applicable provisions,” the official said.
Vijay Nayak, deputy director, AIIMS, did not respond to Mirror’s requests for comment till press time.
The RTI records also raise questions about the selection process. Asked whether any tender had been floated before the supplies were made, AIIMS responded: “Nil.”
The documents do not indicate whether any competitive process was followed, whether multiple eligible plasma fractionators were considered, how the recipient was identified, or the basis on which the uniform price of Rs 1,600 per litre was fixed. They are also silent on the duration and terms of the arrangement.
The records provide a rare glimpse into a little-known segment of India’s blood supply chain, where surplus Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), no longer required for transfusion, is transferred to licensed plasma fractionation facilities for the manufacture of plasma-derived medicines such as albumin, immunoglobulins and clotting factor concentrates.
Under India’s regulatory framework, licensed blood banks are permitted to transfer surplus plasma that is no longer required for clinical transfusion to authorised plasma fractionation facilities. Instead of being discarded, the plasma is processed into plasma-derived medicinal products used in the treatment of burns, trauma, immune deficiencies, haemophilia and several other serious medical conditions.
PLASMA TRAIL OUT OF AIIMS, NAGPUR
AIIMS supplied:
128.02 litres on March 15, 2023. Price: Rs 2,04,832
86.80 litres on June 19, 2023. Price: Rs 1,38,880
93.669 litres on September 22, 2023. Price: Rs 1,49,870
64.641 litres on October 27, 2023. Price: Rs 1,03,425
92.427 litres on February 22, 2024. Price: Rs 1,47,883
86.669 litres on May 24, 2024. Price: for Rs 1,38,670
117.272 litres on August 30, 2024. Price: Rs 1,87,635
155.534 litres on January 21, 2025. Price: Rs 2,48,854
106.281 litres on August 19, 2025. Price: Rs 1,70,049
96.514 litres on October 28, 2025. Price: Rs 1,54,422
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