In order to facilitate regulatory framework, medical devices sector has been separated from the pharmaceuticals sector.

The government will also create a separate ministry for medical devices sector.

This was revealed by Union Minister for Chemicals, Fertilizers & Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar on Saturday at Indian Pharma and Indian Medical Devices International conference in Bengaluru.

“It is time for this sector to fly like butterfly and the pharmaceutical and medical devices to be spun off as a separate ministry of pharmaceutical and medical devices. I have recommended this to the Prime Minister and this request is under active consideration by the PM and PMO,” he said.

The medical device sector is governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 which was primarily meant for regulating the pharmaceutical industry. There has been a longstanding demand to separate medical devices industry from pharma industry in tune with global standards.
Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharamanmedical, who was also present at the event, said,”Like Pharma has earned respect worldwide, I hope medical devices similarly earn this respect globally and achieve global manufacturing competitiveness. Medical devices is now being made a part of 25 Make in India focus sectors.”

The government has also decided to bear the cost of effluent treatment plant and provide some basic facilities free of cost at the upcoming medical device parks in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, to make it globally competitive. This move has the potential to bring down the cost of medical device manufacturing in India by about 30 per cent.