India’s healthcare landscape is evolving rapidly, with medical technology playing an increasingly important role in improving diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes. Against this backdrop, and as the country works towards expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare, the Indian Medical Parliamentarians’ Forum (IMPF) convened the National Policy Summit on MedTech Access on September 22 at Meril Academy, Vapi, under the theme ‘Swasth Bharat Se Saksham Bharat | Reimagining MedTech Access in India.’ The summit brought together Members of Parliament, senior government officials, healthcare institutions, clinical experts and industry stakeholders to discuss strengthening India’s medical technology ecosystem and expanding access to quality, advanced and affordable healthcare technologies.Established in 2006, IMPF is a non-partisan platform for Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha with backgrounds in medicine and healthcare. The forum promotes evidence-based dialogue on public health priorities and connects parliamentary leadership with government, clinical experts, civil society, academia and industry to support national health policy discussions.The summit was chaired byDr Anil Sukhdeorao Bonde, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Chairperson, IMPF. Senior representatives from the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Health Research, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Health Authority (NHA), AIIMS Nagpur and the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) participated.The summit featured two panel discussions bringing together policymakers, healthcare experts, academic leaders and industry representatives to examine the development of India’s MedTech ecosystem and pathways to wider patient access.The first panel, ‘Building a sustainable and globally competitive MedTech ecosystem,’ examined the ecosystem required to support indigenous medical technology development and global competitiveness. Discussions covered research and innovation, regulatory and quality frameworks, industry-academia collaboration, domestic manufacturing, supply-chain resilience and clinical requirements. The panel was chaired by Dr Shivaji Bandappa Kalge, with Shri Manoj Joshi as Co-Chair. Dr Vibhav Garg, Meril, moderated the discussion, with Prof. (Dr.) Prashant P. Joshi and Dr Neha Dumka participating as panellists.The second panel, ‘Expanding access to quality care through MedTech innovation,’ focused on translating medical innovation into meaningful patient access. Discussions covered clinical evidence, health technology assessment, financing and reimbursement, technology adoption, healthcare workforce capabilities and extending advanced technologies across different levels of the health system. The panel was chaired by Dr Jashvantsinh Parmar and moderated by Dr Sharmila Sarkar, with Dr Gaurav Shanker Pradhan, Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav and Dr Suchita Markan as panellists.Speaking at the summit, Dr Anil Sukhdeorao Bonde said, “Innovation without access has limited impact, and access without evidence cannot be sustained. For India to build a globally competitive medical technology ecosystem, we need stronger indigenous research and development, credible clinical evidence, appropriate health technology assessment and sustainable reimbursement mechanisms. Manufacturing must be supported by the right clinical skills, infrastructure and technical ecosystem. Our ultimate objective must be Indian innovation, global-quality technology and affordable access for every patient who needs it.”Manoj Kumar Joshi, Co-Chair and Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, said, “For India to become self-reliant in medical devices, we need a strong ecosystem built around quality, evidence and credibility. Our regulatory system must evolve to ensure products developed in India meet globally credible standards. We also need to strengthen domestic supply chains, engineering capabilities and component manufacturing. This will support healthcare access while contributing to employment and the country’s prosperity.”Highlighting the role of healthcare institutions, Dr Prashant P. Joshi said, “Medical institutions should not be limited to validating technologies developed elsewhere; they should identify unmet clinical needs and work with engineers, researchers and innovators to develop solutions. Stronger collaboration between medical and engineering institutions through joint research, academic programmes, fellowships and training can significantly strengthen India’s medical technology ecosystem.”On clinical adoption and capacity building, Dr Gaurav Shanker Pradhan said, “Access to medical technology is not simply about making a device available. Meaningful impact is possible only when healthcare professionals can use it safely, confidently and effectively. We need to move from an equipment-centric approach to a technology adoption model supported by competency-based training for healthcare professionals.”Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav, IAS, Joint Director, National Health Authority, highlighted the importance of financing and reimbursement. He said, “For medical technology to reach patients, clinical effectiveness must be supported by appropriate financing and reimbursement pathways. Under Ayushman Bharat, newer interventions require credible clinical and economic evidence before incorporation into health benefit packages. We must also consider the total cost of care rather than only the upfront cost of a device.”Emphasising health-system requirements, Dr Neha Dumka said, “Technology has an important role in strengthening primary healthcare. However, innovation must be assessed for technical capabilities as well as ease of use, cost-effectiveness, scalability and sustainability. Technologies must be capable of effective adoption at different levels of care and ultimately reach the beneficiaries who need them.”Speaking on grassroots healthcare delivery, Dr Jashvantsinh Parmar said, “To take medical technology from innovation to meaningful patient access, we need to identify bottlenecks in the existing system and strengthen the capabilities of healthcare professionals at the grassroots, particularly at CHCs and sub-district centres. Technologies should be introduced systematically and evaluated through comparative, data-based studies.”Highlighting the potential of domestic manufacturers, Dr Shivaji Kalge said, “Indian medical device companies are increasingly capable of developing technologies that meet international standards while remaining affordable for Indian patients. Continued investment in research, quality and innovation can help these technologies gain wider acceptance globally while improving access to quality healthcare.”
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The summit also included representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), National Health Authority, government medical institutions, clinical experts and industry associations.The discussions underscored the need for a coordinated approach spanning indigenous innovation, evidence generation, regulatory quality, clinical education, health technology assessment, financing, reimbursement and institutional adoption, while connecting MedTech innovation with the needs of healthcare providers and patients, particularly in underserved areas.Disclaimer – The above content is non-editorial, and TIL hereby disclaims any and all warranties, expressed or implied, relating to it, and does not guarantee, vouch for or necessarily endorse any of the content.