Medical Devices Export Council Functional, Set to Boost Industry Growth

The Department of Commerce approved the creation of a dedicated Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices, placing it under the administrative control of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP).

The Indian government has officially made the Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices (EPCMD) functional, revealed sources.

Originally announced three years ago, the council has been established to boost medical device exports.

The Department of Commerce approved the creation of a dedicated Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices, placing it under the administrative control of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP).

Praveen Mittal, executive director of EPCMD, stated, “The medical devices sector has been identified as a sunrise sector and holds vast potential for innovation and economic growth. With the establishment of EPCMD, India now has a focused institutional mechanism to drive exports and boost domestic manufacturing.”

Further highlighting EPCMD’s vision, he stated, "EPCMD is committed to supporting Indian manufacturers and unlocking new international trade opportunities for the sector. This initiative will play a vital role in helping India reach a USD 30 billion market size by 2030. Our mission is to take India-made, high-quality medical devices to global markets, enhance India’s competitiveness, and contribute to improved global health standards.”

India has already established a pharmaceutical export promotion council to facilitate drug exports. The industry welcomed EPCMD’s activation as a significant milestone in advancing medical device exports.

The Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), the umbrella association of Indian manufacturers of medical devices, also welcomes this decision. Members are now being onboarded, fulfilling a long-standing industry demand that has finally come to completion.

“AiMeD expresses its deep gratitude to the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal, and extends special thanks to the Department of Commerce, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), YEIDA, and EEPC India for recognising the immense potential of India’s medical devices sector and taking this visionary step in supporting the creation and functioning of the EPCMD,” said a statement issued by AiMeD.

Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator at AiMeD, praised the move stating, “The creation of EPCMD marks the fulfillment of an important request we have pursued for over a decade. The formation of this dedicated council will act as a catalyst in transforming India into a global hub for medical device innovation, manufacturing, and exports and is expected to be the next biggest success story after IT and pharma. AiMeD looks forward to working closely with EPCMD to ensure this opportunity brings real growth, employment, and improved global health outcomes, as well as work to diligently increase our exports so that they overtake our imports.”

Currently, the top five countries importing Indian medical devices include the US, Germany, China, the Netherlands, and Brazil. 

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