Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family WelfareShri Jagat Prakash Naddaaddressed theCEO Roundtable onthe second day of India Medical Device 2026, organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
The Roundtable brought together senior policymakers and leaders of the medical device industry to deliberate on the future of India’s MedTech sector. It was attended byShri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals;Dr. M Srinivas,Member, NITI Aayog;Dr. Rajiv Bahl,Secretary, Department of Health Research & Director General, ICMR;Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Department of Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT);Shri Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO, National Health Authority,Shri Anant Swarup, Secretary General, FICCI;Shri Tushar Sharma, Chair, FICCI Medical Devices Committee; Shri Himanshu Baid, Co-Chair, FICCI Medical Devices Committee; Shri Bharath Sesha, Co-Chair, FICCI Medical Devices Committee.More then40 CEOs of global, domestic MedTech companies and MSMEs participated in the RoundTable
The CEO Roundtable provided a platform forhigh-level dialogue on strengthening India’s medical device ecosystem,promoting innovation and investment,enhancing domestic manufacturing capabilities and enabling the environment for Indian medical device companiesto expand their global footprint.
Earlier in the day,Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of India, chairing a session on“Reimbursement Mechanisms for Innovative Therapies in India’s Path to Universal Health Coverage (UHC)”highlighted the importance of strengthening evidence-based decision-making. He said medical innovations should translate into affordable, accessible and sustainable healthcare.
Dr Bahl emphasised thatrobust clinical evidence should underpin regulatory, reimbursement and procurement decisions. He noted that evidence-based approaches are essential to ensure that innovative technologies demonstrate their clinical value and contribute meaningfully to improved patient outcomes. He further stressed thathigh-quality evidence on clinical effectiveness is essential for meaningful cost-effectiveness and health-economic assessment. He cautioned that seeking exemptions from evidence generation may make it difficult for technologies to establish their value beforeHealth Technology Assessment (HTA), reimbursement and procurement authorities.
Participants highlighted the need for a framework that can support the adoption of new medical technologies while ensuring that healthcare resources are utilised effectively. The session underscored that wider adoption of innovative medical technologies in India will requirecredible clinical evidence, transparent HTA processes, realistic pricing, sustainable reimbursement mechanisms, greater clinician participation and stronger training systems. The discussion focused on developing a reimbursement ecosystem that balancesaccess to innovative technologies with affordability and fiscal sustainability.
