India has undergone a quiet but profound transformation in health care and medical innovation over the past decade, and the time has come for the country to own that story with confidence, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh, as he delivered the special address at THE WEEK India Hospital Procurement Leaders Summit, presented by Helmier, in New Delhi.
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Speaking to an audience of senior procurement and supply chain leaders from India's top hospital groups, Dr Singh made a compelling case that the country's dependence on imported medical devices, drugs, and equipment is now being systematically dismantled, powered by strong political will and a rapidly maturing innovation ecosystem.
"Not long ago, most of the devices, the stents, the implants came from outside, and the costs were sometimes unjustifiable." India has moved from being a passive consumer of global medical technology to an active creator and exporter of it, he said.
To illustrate the pace of change, he cited India's development of its first-ever indigenous DNA vaccine, noting that India has historically been recognised for its ancient health traditions, and is now reclaiming its place at the cutting edge of modern science. He also mentioned the development of Nafithromycin, India's first homegrown antibiotic, designed to address respiratory infections with a resistance profile that makes it particularly relevant in an era of rising antimicrobial resistance.
Beyond individual innovations, Dr Singh pointed to structural shifts in how India approaches health research and manufacturing. He noted that the government has now opened up sectors previously closed to private participation—including space research, nuclear medicine, and advanced health sciences—creating a more dynamic innovation environment. Foreign direct investment norms in these domains have also been relaxed, he said, signalling India's readiness to engage internationally without compromising self-reliance.
He called on India's health care industry to accelerate their shift away from import dependence, reminding them that affordability and quality are no longer mutually exclusive when it comes to indigenous products. India's medical devices sector, he noted, currently holds just about 1.5 per cent of the global market, but the government has set an ambitious target of scaling that to between 10 and 20 per cent.
Dr Singh said India is now well-positioned to combine the best of modern science with its traditional wellness heritage — making it not just a pharmaceutical powerhouse, but a comprehensive, self-reliant, and globally competitive healthcare destination.
