The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) has urged the government to restrict refurbishment of medical devices to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the wake of the Centre’s order suspending imports of refurbished medical equipment. The industry body also recommended bringing medical devices under the Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing (ERSO) scheme to establish India as a global hub for medical device repair and refurbishment.

According to MTaI, the suspension of refurbished imports has hit India’s healthcare delivery, particularly in tier-2 to tier-4 cities and rural areas, where over 70 percent of facilities are small private providers dependent on affordable pre-owned equipment such as CT, MRI, and robotic systems.

MTaI Chairman Pavan Choudary cautioned that a prolonged suspension could disrupt access, hurt small providers, and impact jobs. He proposed allowing interim imports with approvals from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). He further distinguished between “import substitution” and “import replacement,” emphasising that the latter fosters competitiveness and long-term growth, citing Japan’s bicycle industry as an example that eventually gave rise to giants like Honda and Toyota.

Globally, pre-owned medical equipment accounts for 7–9 percent of needs in the US and EU, with countries including the UK, Japan, Canada, South Korea, and Australia already permitting such trade. MTaI argued that restricting refurbishment to OEMs would ensure quality, patient safety, and use of genuine spare parts, while also expanding access to affordable healthcare in underserved regions.

The association also highlighted the skilling opportunities that refurbished medical equipment could create, supporting India’s goal of exporting two lakh healthcare workers annually. It urged the government to extend the ERSO scheme, which has already demonstrated efficiency gains in Bengaluru’s pilot project involving Lenovo and Flex, cutting customs clearance times and enabling exports to the US and Europe.

MTaI said the inclusion of medical devices in the ERSO scheme would help attract global expertise, encourage technology transfer, and position India as a preferred destination for medical device refurbishment and export growth.