India MedTech Expo 2023 showcases advancements, innovations & contributions of industry

New Delhi: Bhagwanth Khuba, Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India addressed the valedictory session of the India MedTtech Expo 2023 on 19th August, 2023 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

In the exhibition, huge range of medical equipment ranging from the state-of-the-art imaging systems to precision surgical instruments, from wearable health monitors to AI-driven diagnostic tools, were on display. Various sessions on themes relevant for the medical device sector during the course of three day Expo.

Khuba said that the Expo has enabled us to showcase the advancements, innovations, and contributions of the Indian MedTech industry on the global stage. The Expo witnessed large participation from Global and Indian companies including MSMEs, Startups, Academic and Research Institutions, State Governments, Central and state procurement agencies, Regulatory Agencies etc. Government of Gujarat provided all kind of support and facilitated the event.

He informed that Buyer – Seller Meets were organised, wherein more than 4000 meetings were held in first two days and more than 10,000+ visitors visited INDIA MEDTECH EXPO 2023.There was participation from225 companies – Indian (Including MSMEs) and Foreign companies operating in India, 80 Start-ups,7 States – Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Government Agencies and institutions viz. Department of Pharmaceuticals, GeM, ICMR, IPC, CDSCO, NPPA and BIS also participated. R&D Pavilion at the expo witnessed 58 R&D projects by 42 companies. Future Pavilion showcased 74 future technologies and products from 65 companies and organisations. There were 8 Gold and 10 Silver sponsors for the event.

Also present during the valedictory session was Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel, Health Minister, Government of Gujarat. He stated that there is huge talent in the country and several technological innovations are taking place in the medical device sector. Gujarat is a leading state in both pharma and medical devices sectors in the country and the Government of Gujarat is committed to build an ecosystem providing requisite infrastructure to young entrepreneurs, who are waiting for appropriate opportunity.

In her address, S Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India termed India MedTech Expo 2023 a great success and underlined that the expo has provided a clear message that country’s medical devices sector is all set to take off, innovate and grow. She also reiterated that both Central and State Governments are willing to facilitate accelerated growth of medical devices sector and expressed hope that sector will soon chart a successful course similar to the Pharma Sector. The expo provided a crucial platform for all stakeholders come under one platform and exchange ideas and information.

Rajiv Gandhi, Chairman, FICCI- Gujarat State Council delivered the vote of thanks and expressed that the expo provided an everlasting experience and gave amazing insights of medical device industry. The overwhelming participation from all stakeholders promises a bright future for the Indian medical device sector.

Vivek Shah, CEO, Meril Life Sciences expressed satisfaction on the huge success of the 1^st edition of India MedTech Expo. He congratulated Department of Pharmaceuticals and FICCI for the event.

On this occasion, 9 startups were felicitated for their innovations in the field of MedTech by Bhagwanth Khuba in the august presence of Rushikesh Ganeshbhai and S Aparna.

Earlier in the day, a workshop on “Cybersecurity in Medical Devices: Quality System Considerations and Content of Premarket Submissions” was also held wherein industry experts made a presentation on the importance of cyber security for medical devices and briefed the participants on the ways to identify such attacks, as well as the danger that unauthorized access to a medical device may pose to patients. During the workshop, experts also suggested ways to counter cyber-attacks on medical device, under various circumstances.

An Open House session chaired by Dr Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India was held with participation of MedTech Regulators and the Industry players. Key gaps and challenges faced by the medical device manufacturers were discussed along with their potential solutions.

Dr Rajeev Raghuvanshi said that there is a huge opportunity in medical device sector to grow and replace imports with indigenization, particularly if we are able to produce good quality products.

Participating in the session, Kamlesh K Pant, Chairman, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority emphasized on the need for Research & Development and innovations to remain competitive at the global stage.

Ashutosh Agarwal- Deputy Director- Legal Metrology, Department of Consumer Affairs pointed out the benefits of Legal Metrology in protecting the interest of consumers, as it provides legal guarantee of protection to consumers.

Dr Manish Pande, Director & Head PAD, Division, Quality Council of India, Government of India said that the objective of the Government is to develop standards comparable to global standards.

Manju Sharma, Additional CEO, Government e Marketplace – GeM, Government of India informed that all medical device OEM sellers are exempted from vendor assessment process, if they have license from CDSCO /SLA.

Chandan Kumar, Deputy Director & Scientist-C, Bureau of Indian Standards, Government of India opined that it is BIS’s mandate to create world class standards and it is pertinent for the industry to get involved with BIS through the technical committees to drive the discussion around standardization.

Dr H G Koshia, Commissioner Food and Drug Control Administration, Government of Gujarat stated that Regulations, ultimately, are for the betterment of the society and we need to work together to make India a hub of medical devices.