The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has collaborated with All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and leading research institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in the country to develop the medical devices technology in the country under the  ‘Make in India’ initiative taken up the Prime Minister of India.

“Our aim is to make India self reliant in the medical devices sector. As our healthcare sector is vast and require high quality medical devices for advanced medical care, we are calling up on the medical technology innovators to collaborate and develop affordable and need based technologies for the common man,” opined Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences.

Giving paramount importance to healthcare, government of India has given the consent to scientists at DBT, BIRAC and leading research institutes like AIIMS and IITs to come up with innovative medical technologies under the Make in India initiative to transform the country and propel the nation to greater heights through social and economic growth.

Medical technology industry in India is 4th largest in Asia and is valued at $6.3 billion in the year 2013. At present the industry is witnessing 10-12 per cent growth per year. With medical devices industry growing at this pace, industry experts are expecting that the government will do a humongous spending of $250-350 every year for innovation, research and new development in the country.

Currently the Indian medical device market consists of medical instruments, orthopaedic and ophthalmic devices. Syringes, needles, catheters, scanning devices and bandages are increasingly being manufactured and marketed in the country. “Realising the growing importance of healthcare, the Department of Biotechnology is promoting the medical devices sector through various programmes for affordable products relevant to societal and public health,” said Vijay Raghavan, Secretary of DBT.

With the support of DBT large number of successful scientists and entrepreneurs and young start-ups are building their own entrepreneurships across the country.

“India has complete value chain right from product innovation to commercialization to support and facilitate entrepreneurs. Currently about 40 medical devices and diagnostics have been invented in India and have even received US FDA clearances,” said Dr Raghavan.

The DBT has collaborated with AIIMS and IITs for development of in-vitro diagnostics tools, implants, and other medical devices.  

According to Dr Balram Bhargava, executive director of School of International Bio-design of AIIMS, the DBT along with premier research institutions are aiming at global promotion, affordable need driven, health innovation (GANDHI). So far the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has trained 110 innovators and developed 34 medical devices and has obtained 51 provisional patients. “With the support of BIRAC we have commercialised more than 10 medical technology products,” said Dr Balram.