India is planning to open its first medical device industrial park. It will be located in Gujarat, the state that was home to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A second park is being planned in the south Indian state of Tami Nadu. India presently imports 75% of it medical devices.
Union organizer Ansanth Kumar, according to writer Varun Saxena, said, “Unfortunately we are an importing country as far as medical devices go with our domestic industry accounting for 2% of the global industry which stands at $250 billion. This is what we are going to change over the next five years.”
If developed as planned, the industrial parks would be a significant win for Modi’s “Make in India” campaign. The parks would be located in a manufacturing arena that is underdeveloped.
Among the recommendations is one that would bar the importation of secondhand diagnostics and minimize import duties on raw materials needed for device production. Another significant initiative is a plan to regulate medical devices separately from pharmaceuticals.
The Times of India reports that GE Healthcare is now manufacturing a low-cost CT imaging scanner in India. It is the company’s 26th “super value” device manufactured in India, and most sophisticated. Others include mobile x-ray equipment, baby warmers and portable ECG machines. The company is also conducting a training program in the country, with a goal of developing 100, 000 healthcare workers over the next five years.
