India has detected one case of the emerging Covid-19 subvariant NB 181 and four cases of the LF 7 variant, according to recent data released by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). The NB 181 case was identified in Tamil Nadu in April, while the LF 7 cases were found in Gujarat in May. As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized both NB 181 and LF 7 as Variants Under Monitoring (VUM), a classification below the more serious labels of Variants of Concern (VOC) or Variants of Interest (VOI). However, both subvariants have been linked to a noticeable surge in Covid-19 infections in China and several other Asian regions, raising concerns among global health experts about their potential to spread further if not monitored closely.

In India, the most prevalent variant remains JN 1, which accounts for approximately 53% of all sequenced Covid-19 cases. It is followed by the BA 2 subvariant at 26%, with various other Omicron offshoots making up the remaining 20%. Although the WHO’s initial risk evaluation classifies NB 181 as posing a low global threat to public health, virologists and researchers are closely monitoring its development due to key spike protein mutations, including A435S, V445H, and T478I. These mutations could potentially enhance the virus’s ability to transmit between individuals and evade existing immune protection, especially in populations with waning vaccine immunity.