New Delhi, August 7: The 9th edition of India Medical Device 2026 began at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, regulators, industry representatives, innovators and other stakeholders to discuss the future of India’s medical devices sector.
Organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the two-day event is being held under the theme “Towards Viksit Bharat: Advancing India as a Global Hub for Quality Medical Devices.”
The conference focuses on strengthening India’s domestic medical-device manufacturing capabilities while creating a more competitive and export-oriented industry. Addressing the inaugural session, Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, said the sector needs to be viewed from both healthcare and industrial perspectives.
He highlighted the importance of domestic manufacturing in improving supply-chain resilience, creating employment and strengthening India’s industrial capabilities. According to the Department, India has already made progress in areas such as consumables, disposables and the assembly of advanced diagnostic and imaging equipment.
Push for Greater Domestic Manufacturing
The government and industry stakeholders stressed that India now needs to move beyond an import-substitution approach and build a globally competitive, export-oriented medical-device industry.
The Indian medical-device market is estimated at around $16 billion, while the global market is valued at more than $600 billion, highlighting the substantial opportunity available to Indian manufacturers.
Speakers called for stronger domestic component manufacturing, increased value addition, greater investment in advanced technologies and closer integration with international medical-device supply chains.
The conference also highlighted the importance of partnerships between startups and established companies so that innovative ideas can be developed into commercially viable medical technologies.
Focus on Advanced Medical Technologies
Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India, said the medical-device sector is undergoing a shift from an import-dependent market towards a domestic manufacturing-led ecosystem.
He emphasised the need to develop stronger indigenous capabilities in high-end Class C and Class D medical devices and in-vitro diagnostics. Faster and more predictable regulatory processes were also identified as important for supporting innovation while maintaining quality and safety standards.
White Paper on Medical Equipment Maintenance Unveiled
A key development on the opening day was the release of a white paper titled “Strengthening of Service and Maintenance of Medical Equipment in India.”
The document underlines the importance of developing a reliable service and maintenance ecosystem for medical equipment. Proper maintenance is essential to ensuring the safety, reliability, longevity and uninterrupted operation of equipment used in healthcare facilities.
Industry representatives also highlighted investments being made in India across research and development, manufacturing, engineering, clinical research, service networks and workforce development.
Building a Global MedTech Hub
The discussions at India Medical Device 2026 point towards a broader ambition to position India as an important global centre for medical-device manufacturing and innovation.
With growing emphasis on research, advanced manufacturing, quality standards, resilient supply chains and exports, the sector could become an important contributor to India’s healthcare capabilities as well as employment and economic growth.
The two-day conference will continue deliberations on strengthening India’s medical-device ecosystem and expanding its role in global MedTech value chains.
