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Global patent filing trends in India :

Country-wise filings were then analysed to have a better understanding of the business interests of different countries in the Indian medical device market and also to evaluate patent applications filed by Indian applicants being a positive indicator of medical device innovation in India.

In the last 10 years, around 80% of the patent applications filed in India in the medical device sector were filed by foreign institutes/companies.

As per our analysis, patent applications in India by applicants of Indian origin in the medical device sector accounted to only 17% minority share. The Indian medical device sector is highly import dependent with 70%–75% of the demand being met through imports.

The finding that about 80% of the patent applications filed in India are by foreign applicants correlates with the Indian medical device sector profile.

Most of the foreign companies file patents in India for marketing medical devices in India but they do not have a manufacturing base in India.

Strength and Future Potential :

• India is a leader in Pharmaceutical products – India is called “The Pharmacy of the World” and we can do similar wonders in medical device as well

• Medical device industry now is in the stage where Pharma Industry was in the 1990s

• Low cost of production

• Inspite of limitations India is world leader in manufacturing several medical devices like Sutures, I V Cannulas etc.

• This sector is now under Central Govt. focus for development

• Special Medical device Parks are now reality e.g. AP, Gujarat

• Availability of skilled Manpower specially for production and Regulatory requirements

• Already lot of companies have started manufacturing components in India with continuous improvement in its quality

• Several companies have made world class production facilities like HMD – which is supplying syringes to WHO for COVID vaccination programme or POLYMED which is supplying substantial percentage of Infusion devices in Europe or ROMSONS or TERUMO PENPOL OR Sutures India who are leaders in supply of several devices across the world

• Govt. of India’s new push for Make in India – which will be a real game changer in a years time Introduction of PLI scheme makes large scale investment in this sector very attractive for MNCs and Local large companies

• e.g. Companies like TATA getting into manufacturing Medical devices

• Goodwill an Indian product commands compared to a Chinese product for its Quality and Consistency

The real challenge would however be in to manufacturing higher value added products like products used in Cardiology, Oncology, Dialysis, making production facilities world class in terms of infrastructure, use of latest technology in manufacturing and assembling, taking regulatory approvals of USA and EU, just like the success story of Pharma products.

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