Overview

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying published the first nationwide guidelines and SOPs to standardize animal blood typing, cross-matching, donor screening and transfusion monitoring.
• The framework seeks state-regulated veterinary blood banks with biosafety-compliant facilities and a National Veterinary Blood Bank Network featuring digital registries, real-time inventory and an emergency helpline.
• Donations must be voluntary with written owner consent under a Donor Rights Charter, with donor eligibility defined by age, weight, vaccination status and clinical health across species.
• The guidance integrates One Health principles to manage zoonotic risks and promotes training in veterinary curricula along with innovations such as mobile collection units, cryopreservation and donor-recipient matching apps.
• Officials say the move will improve emergency care and support rural livelihoods, while funding, legal mandates and state-level rollout plans remain to be detailed.