NITI Aayog considers policies to expand India's medical device manufacturing

NITI Aayog is exploring policy measures to expand India’s manufacturing of medical and dental devices. The Economic Times reported that the government policy think tank met with domestic manufacturers, government officials and experts to discuss difficulties facing Indian producers. AiMeD called for simpler regulations and financial support for local manufacturers.

The meeting took place on Wednesday and brought together manufacturers of devices and dental products, according to The Economic Times. Government participants came from the departments of pharmaceuticals, health, science and technology, as well as the Indian Council of Medical Research. Experts from IIT Delhi and IIT Mumbai also attended.

The discussion addressed regulatory hurdles, infrastructure gaps and cost disadvantages. The Economic Times attributed a 10–15% cost disadvantage for Indian manufacturers to the industry body, which cited high capital and energy costs, logistics expenses, limited access to risk capital, and inadequate testing and research infrastructure.

AiMeD also pointed to a longer process for setting up manufacturing facilities. It said a facility that previously took about 18 months to establish can now take nearly four years. The industry body linked the longer timeline to multiple approvals, overlapping authorities and changing requirements.

Those figures and explanations are AiMeD’s assessment as reported by The Economic Times. The article describes them as challenges identified by the industry body, rather than independently verified measurements. It reports that NITI Aayog is considering policy measures, but does not specify which proposals the think tank is considering.

The meeting brought manufacturers, public officials and technical experts into a discussion of domestic device production. AiMeD’s requests focused on reducing regulatory complexity and providing financial support. The Economic Times reports the recommendations and the challenges cited by the industry body; it does not report a final policy decision.