India to Launch New Scheme to Boost Domestic Medical Device Industry

The new initiative is designed to reduce India’s reliance on imported medical devices and foster self-reliance in the domestic industry.

According to Arunish Chawla, secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, the Indian government will roll out a new scheme within the next month to strengthen the domestic medical device industry.

Speaking at the second Meditech Stackathon event on Wednesday, Chawla revealed that the scheme was developed after extensive consultations with industry stakeholders.

The new initiative is designed to reduce India’s reliance on imported medical devices and foster self-reliance in the domestic industry.

"The scheme is being brought in order to make the domestic industry self-reliant in the long run," Chawla stated.

He emphasized that the scheme aligns with the specific needs of the medical device industry, following feedback gathered during the stakeholder consultations.

Chawla confirmed that the scheme has already received in-principle approval from the Finance Ministry, paving the way for its imminent launch.

The initiative is expected to build on the success of the existing Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices, which has already seen the commencement of 20 major greenfield projects across the country.

Encouraging Domestic Production

Under the PLI scheme, various high-tech medical devices, including CT scans, MRI machines, ultrasound devices, and dialysis machines, are now being manufactured domestically.

This move is part of a broader strategy to boost India’s medical device sector, which the government aims to grow to $50 billion over the next five years.

In April last year, the Union Cabinet approved the National Medical Devices Policy, which is designed to further increase domestic production and reduce imports, supporting the long-term growth and sustainability of the industry.

In another recent development of the Medtech sector, the Karnataka government iannounced that it is partnering to enhance its public healthcare system by implementing Medtech across its 31 districts. This initiative aims to improve healthcare delivery, streamline operations, and expand access in both urban and rural areas.

Focus areas include telemedicine for underserved regions, deploying electronic health records (EHR) for better data management, and integrating advanced diagnostic tools to enhance disease detection and treatment.

Additionally, training healthcare professionals and upgrading infrastructure are key priorities to support the adoption of new technologies.