Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India is laying the foundations to emerge as a global medtech hub, the Union Government said on August 23.
At a two-day Southeast and South Asia regional meet, Amit Agrawal, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, emphasised the need to strengthen the medical device sector ecosystem. Beyond “technology and skilled manpower,” there is also a need to establish “internationally accredited laboratories, adopt globally harmonised standards, and support clinical investigations for innovative devices to achieve economies of scale but aggregate demand beyond national borders”.
“With the ongoing development of medical device parks in India and ICMR’s MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra initiatives, clinical trial support schemes and strengthened research platforms, India is systematically laying the foundation to emerge as a significant MedTech innovation hub,” he added.
Underscoring that “health knows no boundaries”, he observed that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the critical need for collaboration across borders, between sectors, and among Government departments and public health agencies in creating resilient and strong healthcare systems. The Secretary also highlighted the contributions of the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) in developing skilled human capital.
