EPC for medical devices can prop up sector’s exports

The Export Promotion Council with headquarters in Greater Noida will have regional offices in AMTZ, Visakhapatnam, and Hyderabad. The regional office at Visakhapatnam is expected to be set up by the end of the year and the regional office at Hyderabad by 2025. Among the Council’s nominated members will be the Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone and the CEO of Hyderabad Pharma City

A major policy initiative to promote export of medical devices from the country was unfolded by the Union Cabinet when it approved establishing an Export Promotion Council (EPC) for medical devices. To boost the sagging morale of the country’s medical devices industry, the central government had recently approved the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, while duly obliging a long-standing demand of the domestic medical devices industry. The Cabinet decision will help achieve Aatmanirbhar in medical devices and place India among the top five global suppliers of medical devices. The policy will boost local manufacturing, help traders and importers to start investing in putting up factories and end the 70-80% import dependence forced upon India and the ever-rising import bill, which last year shot up by a steep 41% to over Rs 63,000 crore and make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for common masses worldwide.

The policy envisions an accelerated growth path with a patient-centric approach and can also help achieve 10-12% share in the expanding global market over the next 25 years. The policy lays down a roadmap for accelerated growth of the medical devices sector to achieve the missions like access and universality, affordability, quality, patient-centric quality care, preventive health, security, research and innovation and skilled manpower.

The policy envisages creation of a dedicated wing for the medical devices sector under the administrative control of Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), which will be an enabler to deal with various market access issues. They will foster studies and projects for learning from the best global practices of manufacturing and skilling system so as to explore the feasibility of adapting such successful models in India, and promoting more forums to bring together various stakeholders for sharing knowledge by way of strong networks.

The creation of the EPC for medical devices is approved by the government with s one-time waiver of the condition in guidelines on the subject, stipulating creation of an export promotion forum initially, before being upgraded as EPC. The Council will be headquartered in YEIDA, Greater Noida, with regional offices in AMTZ, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad. The headquarters will be set up at the upcoming Medical Devices Park Common Facility Centre in Greater Noida. The regional office at Visakhapatnam is expected to be set up by the end of the year and the regional office at Hyderabad by 2025. The Council’s administration and management will be through the Committee of Administration with elected and nominated members. The nominated members shall be from Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Commerce, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), CEOs or Managing Directors of major medical device clusters or parks, including the MD of Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone and CEO of Hyderabad Pharma City.

The Council, which will have an exclusive focus on the implementation of trade-related initiatives and easing of trade issues in the medical devices sector, is being set up on the lines of Pharmexcil, which played a key role in promoting exports of pharmaceutical products. Pharmexcil periodically makes representations to the government and agencies in India and abroad to get amicable solutions for the common problems of the industry; makes suggestions on policy issues relating to pharma exports; organises periodical seminars and interactive meetings on export related issues; organises business meetings in India and abroad and organises trade delegations abroad.

The export promotion council for medical devices sector will work on the same lines and spur global market entry while also encouraging domestic players to enhance quality and productivity.

India currently exports Rs 23,766 crore (2021-22) of medical devices up from the previous year’s Rs 19,736 crore. However, while almost 80 per cent of the medical devices demand in the country is met through imports, the government and the industry are looking at various methods to improve domestic manufacturing and increase exports. Of course, the government’s initiative in this regard will go a long way in accelerating exports of medical devices.

(The author is freelance journalist with varied experience in different fields)