The 9th edition of India Medical Device 2026 commenced at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, innovators, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to discuss the future of India’s rapidly growing medical devices sector.
Organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, in association with FICCI, the two-day conference is themed “Towards Viksit Bharat: Advancing India as a Global Hub for Quality Medical Devices.” The event aims to strengthen India’s position in the global MedTech landscape through innovation, quality manufacturing, regulatory reforms and enhanced global competitiveness.
Addressing the inaugural session, Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, emphasized the need for India to develop a globally competitive and export-oriented medical devices industry. He highlighted that while India has made significant progress in consumables, disposables and the assembly of advanced diagnostic and imaging equipment, the country must now focus on increasing domestic value addition, strengthening component manufacturing and promoting advanced medical technologies.
The conference also featured discussions on regulatory reforms, investment opportunities, research and development, supply-chain resilience, digital technologies and global market access. Industry leaders underlined the importance of strengthening India’s MedTech ecosystem through innovation, skilled workforce development and globally aligned quality standards.
A key highlight of the opening day was the launch of the white paper titled “Strengthening of Service and Maintenance of Medical Equipment in India.” The document advocates the creation of a robust and sustainable ecosystem for servicing and maintaining medical equipment to ensure patient safety, reliability, longevity and uninterrupted healthcare delivery.
The issue was further explored during a dedicated roundtable on “Service and Maintenance of Medical Equipment in Indian Healthcare,” where policymakers, industry representatives and hospital leaders discussed challenges and solutions related to equipment upkeep across healthcare facilities.
During the discussion, Dr. Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director, Ujala Cygnus Healthcare Services, emphasized that expanding access to advanced medical technology must be accompanied by reliable maintenance systems. He pointed out that equipment downtime in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities can significantly impact patient access to healthcare services, particularly when alternative facilities may be located far away.
Dr. Bajaj stressed that the objective should not only be to install more medical technology across hospitals but also to ensure that it remains safe, functional, affordable and consistently available for patients. He welcomed the collaborative dialogue among government, industry and healthcare providers on developing a stronger national framework for medical equipment maintenance.
The conference will continue with sessions on manufacturing excellence, regulatory pathways, innovation, exports, investments and strategies to position India as a leading global hub for quality medical devices.al attention must be given to maintaining these systems to ensure continuous patient care.
