New Delhi: At the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week, a number of medical device manufacturers gathered to strongly protest the import of used and refurbished medical equipment. Such devices are being imported into India, at times illegally, even when superior domestic options are available. The international companies are essentially using strong lobbying to dump old and obsolete equipment into the country, with no provisions to take them back at the end of their life cycles. For example, in the automobile sector, the government is encouraging the domestic manufacturers with multiple import duties. The same kind of protection does not extend to our medical device manufacturers.
There is little regulatory control over these imported refurbished devices, which only have the foreign certifications. These are not just second hand, but can be third or fourth hand medical devices, that are years old, very possibly obsolete, with high repair and maintenance costs. The parts and components for these machines may not even be available locally. The industry leaders allege that there is strong lobbying to suppress the local market, as they cannot possibly compete in terms of costs or even features. Indian manufacturers can easily provide components for their devices within 24 hours.
Imports of refurbished medical devices should be banned
According to the industry representatives, refurbished devices that were not previously used in India should not be allowed, as such imports are extremely discouraging for Indian manufacturers, or at least the custom duties should be pushed up by 10-20 times. India also cannot afford to import seven-eight year old devices. In 90 percent of the high-end devices, the costs get passed on to the patient and doctors, inhibiting providing them with the best possible care. Such imports are also against the goals of an Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Make in India campaign.
Co-Founder of Innvolution Healthcare, Atul Sharma said, “As one of Asia’s largest Cath Lab manufacturers, we’ve developed equipment that meets global standards and suits India’s healthcare needs across all city tiers, ensuring cost-efficiency and reliability. Claims that refurbished equipment is more affordable for smaller cities are misleading, as these devices incur higher maintenance costs and shorter lifespans. India’s self-reliant healthcare vision relies on fostering local innovation, and we urge the government to prioritize domestic manufacturers and consult CDSCO’s data to prevent unnecessary imports that hinder industry growth.”
India can be a global leader in medical device manufacturing
The Indian medical devices manufacturers have to deal with regulatory risks as well as market risks. The domestic devices are made according to local requirements, and have more thoughtful features, while also doing away with unnecessary features that are not required, which add to the cost. These devices are not inspected, and with these imports, India is essentially being treated as an e-waste dumping ground.
Senior Vice President of SS Innovations, Srinivasa Reddy said, “India is a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry and is highly regarded as the world’s vaccine manufacturing hub, contributing 60 percent to the global vaccine supply. Similarly, the MedTech industry has a significant opportunity to integrate India into the global supply chain. However, inconsistent support and policy concerns regarding the import of refurbished devices from the government could significantly undermine India’s progress and success” SS Innovations is the company behind the indigenously developed Mantra Surgical Robot platform.
