India’s medical devices now meet 30% of domestic needs, with exports topping $4B in five years

New Delhi: Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India (GoI), highlighted the quantum jump by Indian Medical Devices sector and reiterated commitment to support the industry towards achieving self-sufficiency on Saturday.

‘The country has taken huge steps in the last five years towards self-sufficient in medical devices production with domestic share increasing from under 10% to 30% in the last 5 years. Even for high-end products the share now stands at 20%,” said Shri Agrawal.

Terming this year’s India MedTech Expo2025 a grand success, Shri Agrawal said, “We organized 1^st edition of MedTech Expo almost 2 years back. During that time, foreign participants showed tremendous interest in Class A & B non-invasive medical device products. This year thousands of foreign delegates from 30 countries participated in the expo and showed interest in Class C – advance invasive products. We are manufacturing Class-C products at 10 to 40 per cent cheaper and have huge potential to increase export of medical devices.”

He also visited the stalls put up at MedTech Expo and interacted with industry representatives on the last day of ‘India MedTech Expo 2025’ and reiterated commitment of the Department of Pharmaceuticals to work together with various stakeholders to make India ‘Atmanirbhar’ in medical devices & MedTech space.

Chairing the last session of the expo titled ‘Meeting with Global Regulators: Shaping a Future-ready MedTech Regulatory Ecosystem’, Ms. Sai Ahlladini Panda, Member Secretary, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, Department of Pharmaceuticals, GoI underlined the quantity and quality of clinical and other forms of data related to medical devices as one area needing attention and improvement.

“Life expectancy in India is going up, so we need better and more medical devices. And, to improve the quality, we need data in both quantity and quality, whether clinical or other form of data. This is one area which needs our urgent attention and all stakeholders should work together to address this,” said Ms. Panda.

Gayatri Nair, Economic Advisor, Department of Pharmaceuticals, GoI reassured the industry about the initiatives taken by DoP with regard to capacity building for the medical devices sector.

“Department is also supporting certain institutes for rolling out capacity-building programs. Those programs have just started off, both short-term courses as well as long-term courses. In a year or so, when the technically capable resources come out of those courses, they would add value to the industry and contribute further to strengthening the industry,” said Ms. Nair.

Aseem Sahu, Deputy Drug Controller, CDSCO, GoI while underlining the journey of regulation for medical devices in India said that the sector’s growth over the years testifies the evolution of the regulatory system.

“Despite the challenges, the regulatory environment has evolved considerably and reflecting in the number of medical devices manufactures has grown from almost 400 to more than 4000 now over the last 5 years,” said Shri Sahu.

Giving a presentation on opportunities for Indian medical devices manufacturers in Algeria, Prof. Salah Derradji, regulator and former President of Universities and Senator said, “Algeria produces only 2% of its medical devices requirement and Indian medical devices manufacturers can tap the huge opportunity present in my country. Indian companies need to ramp up their marketing to create visibility, which will ensure a better regulatory harmony.”

Calling the regulator to raise the bar on testing, Hitendra Sahu, Director, Department of Pharmaceuticals, GoI said, “With just 2% of global medical devices demand met by exports from India, we need to rise to the occasion. Regulator should raise the bar on quality, so that we can match global quality standards, thus increasing exports by manyfold.”

Organized by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, GoI, in association with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI; Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices (EPCMD), and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI, the 2^nd edition of ‘India MedTech Expo 2025’ was held from 4 to 6 September 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Having established itself as a premier platform to highlight India’s capabilities and growth in the medical technology and devices sector, the 2025 edition of expo brought together policymakers, global business leaders, innovators, investors, and healthcare stakeholders, reinforcing India’s position as a hub for precision-driven, yet affordable, MedTech solutions.

Titled ‘India: Global MedTech Manufacturing Hub, Precision Engineering yet Affordable’ featured an expansive exhibition with participation from MSMEs, start-ups, research institutions, future innovation pavilions, state governments showcasing government initiatives and achievements of the sector. Thematic conferences, CEO roundtables, fireside chats, and state-focused sessions, with the participation of Union and State Ministers were other highlights. Experience zones and networking opportunities such as B2B meetings, Reverse Buyer-Seller Meets, and regulator open houses further enabled collaborations across the med-tech value chain.

The event witnessed participation from over 500 domestic companies, including MSMEs, domestic and international manufacturers, start-ups, regulatory agencies, and state governments, and 150 international buyers representing more than 30 countries, offering a unique opportunity for global stakeholders to explore partnerships and investments in India’s rapidly expanding MedTech ecosystem. With strong industry support from leading associations including AIMED, ADMI, MTAI, AMTZ, AMCHAM, APACMED, ADVAMED, APMEI, ASSOCHAM, CII, FICCI, INVEST INDIA, PHDCCI, NATHEALTH, USIBC, and USISPF, the expo served as a collective platform to shape the future of medical technology.