'UP emerging as cost-effective mfg centre for medical devices'

Uttar Pradesh is fast emerging as a cost-effective manufacturing centre for medical and dental instruments, owing to availability of trained manpower such as labourers and technicians, industry body Assocham has said.
"UP could emerge as hub for medical devices manufacturing by 2020, if an incentive package by way of tax concessions was made available to the industry in the state," said Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat while releasing a study titled Indian Medical Devices Industry: The way ahead.
Law and order in the state has improved in last two years and the industry' perception has changed as far as power supply is concerned, Rawat said, adding that the government should take advantage of this changed perception.

"Present landscape of India's medical devices industry is primarily import driven as it contributes almost 75 per cent of the market, as such there is a significant opportunity for UP in terms of developing domestic manufacturing capabilities for ensuring the nation's health security by setting up green-field medical devices and equipment parks across the state," he said.
UP also holds significant potential to attract foreign direct investment in medical devices manufacturing, but the government needs to modify its industrial policy keeping in mind the requirements of the industry, he added.
With 33 factories in medical and dental instruments and supplies sector operating in UP, the state holds the second highest share of over 10 per cent in total 316 such factories that operational across India after Gujarat (18 per cent), the study said.

Besides, UP holds the second-highest share of about 12 per cent and 25 per cent in terms of direct and indirect employment generated by medical and dental instrument factories operating throughout the country, it added.