At the inaugural ceremony, three knowledge documents- ‘Impact of the pharma industry on the Indian ecosystem in the post- COVID era’, ‘Enabling Growth and innovation in the Indian Medical Devices Sector’ and a ‘Compilation of important speeches by CEOs’ were also released
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare, inaugurated the 7th edition of International conference on Pharma and Medical Devices sector 2022, which is scheduled from 25th to 27th April in the presence of Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers and S Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Addressing the event, Dr Mandaviya said that under the leadership of our Prime Minister, energy and brain power of youth have been channelised. It is the youth of our country which will propel India to greater heights in the future and hence we should promote Industry- students collaboration. This will not only ensure employability of our youth but will also provide skilled manpower to the industry. It is extremely important that we make a roadmap for a greater future and set goals which will ensure the progress of the Nation.
Congratulating the pharma industry of the country in ensuring India’s successful fight against COVID-19, the Union Minister said that the way India has managed COVID pandemic is a global case study. Today the entire world community is praising India’s efforts in carrying out the World’s largest vaccination drive. We have administered more than 187 crore doses in the country so far which is a commendable feat. When it comes to providing healthcare services, one should not think just for the nation but for the whole world. ‘Seva’ should always come first. Our approach of thinking is of totality and not token.
The Union Minister also said that we are witnessing the rise of a New India and all stakeholders have to ensure that the pharma sector also becomes a part of this growth. “We are committed to two important aspects of the healthcare ecosystem- Heal in India and Heal by India”, he noted.
Speaking on the occasion Khuba said that we need to focus on R&D and innovation to ensure quality, accessibility and affordability in the Indian pharma and medical device sector. India is the pharma hub in the world with our production being 5th in the world. The government is also working to provide industry friendly policies along with ease of doing business, he added. He further noted that the Indian medical device sector is currently standing at $11 billion and is likely to reach $ 50 billion by 2025. He highlighted that currently over 80 percent of medical devices are imported in India. With R&D, innovation, India will soon produce 80 percent of medical devices in India.
Aparna while addressing the event said that as India prepares for Amrit Kaal, it is a moment in time to redesign our aspiration in pharmaceutical and medical device sector and take the global mantle of leadership. She further said that there is a need to build an ecosystem for innovation in medical devices and drugs along with enhanced industry- academia linkages. Highlighting various government initiatives to propel the growth of the Pharma sector, she added that under the PLI scheme, more than 22,000 crores have already been approved for bulk drugs, APIs etc.
At the inaugural ceremony, three knowledge documents- ‘Impact of the pharma industry on the Indian ecosystem in the post- COVID era’, ‘Enabling Growth and innovation in the Indian Medical Devices Sector’ and a ‘Compilation of important speeches by CEOs’ were also released by the Union Minister.