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Gujarat: Leading The Medical Device Sector In India
Challenges
Some of the challenges faced by the companies when doing
business in Gujarat is the lack of skilled manpower, over dependence on manual
processes or lack of automation, high cost of power, increasing cost of manpower
and technology etc.
The government of Gujarat has been facilitating the growth of
medical device industry sector through initiation of various policies in order
to provide infrastructure, skilled manpower as well as favorable labour laws.
However Pandya opines that the industry needs to move up in
the value chain by both technology upgradation as well as diversification. He
feels that while regulatory reforms are under progress, the industry can look at
the global quality standards in order to be acceptable in the international
markets.
Giving suggestions to the government to tackle those issue
Pandya states, “The changing regulatory reforms requires substantial investments
by the industry for upgradations requiring support from the Government by way of
easy and subsidised financial resources. The industry also needs support for
manpower training and skill development.”
What next?
Pandya informs that a large number of micro and small scale
units need to understand changing market trends and be competent to manage the
distribution channels directly instead of depending on others. This in turn will
help them in increasing their margins which would help to generate surplus
required for technology up gradation and modernization.
Further he added that innovations both in production
processes as well as marketing will help in a big way in boosting the business.
(Ref: The Chronicle Pharmabiz, September 08, 2011)
Medical Device Industry Needs More R&D Boost From
Government
LACK of research and development (R&D) facilities
specifically dedicated for medical device sector is posing as a major impediment
for development of this sector. The government needs to take proactive steps
towards developing a proper infrastructure in the country for R&D to level up
with the benchmark set up by the global market, said D L Pandya, who is a senior
medical device industry consultant from Gujarat.
At present, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical
Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST) at Thiruvananthapuram is the only big R&D
facility in the country that has some dedicated programme for medical device
industry with a distinction of national importance. The institute signifies the
convergence of medical sciences and technology and enables the indigenous growth
of biomedical technology as it has a biomedical technology wing with facilities
for developing medical devices from a conceptual stage to commercialisation.
Pandya said, “For the development of this sector we need to
have more R&D institutes that will help in providing and supporting testing and
research of newer and better techniques. Investment in R&D must increase from
current level so that companies can develop value-added products through
innovation. We need faster moment to keep up with the speed at which the global
market is moving on and to attain this, the government must create conducive
environment focusing on developing proper infrastructure which will complement
these growth prospects.”
He added that compared to pharma industry, the proportion at
which the medical device consumption takes place is between 30 to 40 per cent
globally.
However in India the rate is only 13 to 14 per cent. “Medical
device industry is very different from pharma industry and is fairly new
compared to it. Thus to develop and improve the technology which will help in
competing effectively, there must be sufficient aid from the government to
support the industry in the process of its transition."
He warned that if the India government does not come forward
to support the medical devices industry, it will end up in losing the huge
medical devices market to China. China is way ahead in their approach compared
to India as they have a lot of government support to assist them in keeping up
with the new challenges and market demands.
(Ref: The Chronicle Pharmabiz, September 08, 2011)
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