Amit Agrawal, Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, has emphasised the need to strengthen the medical device sector ecosystem not only through technology and skilled manpower, but also by establishing “internationally accredited laboratories, adopting globally harmonised standards and supporting clinical investigations for innovative devices.”

Speaking at the South East and South Asia regional meet in New Delhi, he underlined that building economies of scale will require aggregating demand beyond national borders.

Agrawal chaired the session on “Leveraging Inter-sectoral Networking for Med-Tech Innovations” during the two-day regional meet on “Health Research and Innovations in Public Health: Exchange of Good Practices across RESEARCH Platform” organised by the Department of Health Research and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan.

The session brought together senior health functionaries from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste to deliberate on strengthening health research systems, facilitate exchange of good practices, and promote cross-border collaboration in South and Southeast Asia. The meeting is part of the Regional Enabler for South and Southeast Asia Research for Health (RESEARCH) Platform, which aims to foster solidarity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among participating countries.

Addressing the session, Agrawal underscored that “health knows no boundaries”. He observed that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the critical need for collaboration, across borders, between sectors and among government departments and public health agencies, in creating resilient and strong healthcare systems.     

He added that India is systematically laying the foundation to emerge as a significant MedTech innovation hub, citing initiatives such as the ongoing development of medical device parks, ICMR’s MedTech Mitra and Patent Mitra programmes, clinical trial support schemes, and strengthened research platforms.

Furthermore, Agrawal highlighted the contributions of the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) in developing skilled human capital. Specialised courses in medical devices are now being offered across seven NIPERs, and these have been opened to foreign nationals as well.

Looking ahead, he noted that medical technologies will increasingly move beyond hospitals into households through digitalisation, thereby making healthcare more accessible and affordable. He also highlighted the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ Academia to Industry: Discovery Marketplace platform, designed to connect industry, startups, academic and research institutes and other stakeholders in the pharma-MedTech sector, enabling partnerships and collaborations to drive innovation and promote breakthroughs for both commercial and public good.

Agrawal also stressed the importance of RESEARCH Platform in making the South East and South Asian region a global powerhouse for MedTech innovations.