India today is at the cusp of a med-tech revolution — a shift from being primarily an importer of medical devices to becoming a global innovator and reliable hub for advanced, affordable, and inclusive healthcare solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted India’s capability to rise to global challenges with speed and scale, while health tourism, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and dynamic talent are further accelerating this transition.

At the centre of this transformation is Dr. Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director & Founder CEO of AMTZ (Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone), often called the MedTech Man of India. In this edition of Keynote, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, engages him in a thought-provoking conversation on India’s ascent in the med-tech space and its global impact.

YM: You've been called the MedTech Man of India and your leadership has clearly shaped not just an industry but a movement. On a personal note, what qualities or principles have guided your leadership journey, and what message would you like to share with young leaders aspiring to create impact?

JS: My passion was sparked by the realization that India relied almost entirely on imports for even basic technologies—while brilliant Indian innovators struggled due to lack of infrastructure. Early in my career, I saw ideas die not because of talent but because the ecosystem was absent. That conviction led to AMTZ in 2016—not just as a park, but as an integrated ecosystem of R&D labs, regulatory centres, and skill development platforms.

During COVID-19, this vision was tested. AMTZ scaled from zero to producing nearly 250 ventilators a day, 500 oxygen concentrators, and 1 million RT-PCR kits daily. That reaffirmed my belief that when you put the right ecosystem in place, Indian innovation can flourish. What inspires me most today is the energy of young entrepreneurs; my role is simply to remove barriers so their ideas can impact the world.

YM: India is emerging as a reliable hub for high-quality and affordable medical technology. For the next generation of entrepreneurs entering this sector, what guiding principles would you emphasize for creating sustainable impact?

JS: For entrepreneurs, the first principle is that innovation in med-tech is a responsibility, not just a business opportunity. Devices you create will touch lives—affordability, safety, and quality must always remain central.

Second, no startup succeeds in isolation. The reason AMTZ created incubators like MediValley, BioValley and initiatives like i-Passport is to provide an end-to-end ecosystem—labs, certification, clinicians, investors—so innovators don’t waste years chasing approvals. Entrepreneurs, who leverage such ecosystems, validate to global standards, and design with both rural India and international markets in mind will create sustainable impact.

YM: Despite the progress, India still imports nearly 70–80% of its medical devices. From your vantage point, what concrete steps will help us reduce this dependence and move towards complete self-reliance over the next five years?

JS: The answer lies in building depth, not just replacing products. At AMTZ, we have already demonstrated indigenous manufacturing of CT scanners, MRIs, heart valves, and ventilators—bringing import reliance from 96% to about 60%. The next leap is component-level independence—electronics, enzymes, and rare-earth materials—so India owns the full value chain.

By 2030, I expect Indian MedTech exports to touch $15–20 billion, and our domestic market to exceed $50 billion. Most importantly, this will mean affordable access for patients, reduced dependence on imports, and recognition of India as a knowledge-driven health economy. Over the next five years, AMTZ is working to create ‘Made in India’ hospitals in smaller towns. Imagine a hospital where every piece of equipment, from diagnostic imaging to patient monitoring, is indigenously made. That would not only reduce healthcare costs but also showcase India’s capacity for innovation-driven self-reliance.

YM: Policy support and regulation are often cited as enablers as well as barriers. What do you see as the key challenges in India’s med-tech policy landscape, and how can collaboration between government, industry, and enablers like AMTZ help address them?

JS: India’s medical technology sector today is worth around $14 billion and is projected to touch $30 billion by 2030. We are already the fourth largest market in Asia—after Japan, China, and South Korea—and among the top 20 global MedTech markets.

But the paradox is that while demand is growing, we still import nearly 60% of our medical devices. In FY24, our imports stood at about $8.1 billion, while exports were nearly $4 billion. That imbalance highlights both our vulnerability and opportunity. With strategic policy support, particularly under the PLI scheme and the National Medical Devices Policy 2023, we could push exports to $15–20 billion by 2030. This is where AMTZ plays a crucial role. We are building indigenous capacity in areas that were earlier heavily import-dependent.

YM: India is a strong supplier of high-volume, low-value devices. But how do we leapfrog into manufacturing sophisticated high-tech medical equipment to compete with global giants like China and the US, while keeping them cost-effective?

JS: India’s medtech sector must move from volume to value, and the key lies in mastering both components and scale. At AMTZ, we have demonstrated this shift by setting up advanced facilities such as MRI magnet production and precision electronics manufacturing—making it possible to build high-end equipment domestically. For example, MRIs that once cost ₹6 crore when imported are now produced within AMTZ at nearly half the cost, directly benefitting hospitals and patients. This model of “affordable sophistication”—producing complex devices like surgical robots, implants, and diagnostic systems at globally competitive costs—positions India uniquely to serve both rural India and international markets.

To sustain this transition, India must tackle three challenges head-on: cost competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and market access. Building a robust component ecosystem—electronics, enzymes, alternate materials and rare earths—is vital for reducing input costs and avoiding global supply shocks. At the same time, startups face hurdles in early adoption due to limited marketing capacity. Here, clinicians and surgeons must become ambassadors for indigenous devices, helping to accelerate trust and uptake in domestic markets.

YM: Skilled biomedical engineers and technicians will form the backbone of this growth. How are you ensuring India builds a strong pipeline of talent for future med-tech innovation and manufacturing?

JS: Yes, absolutely. Skill-building is central to AMTZ’s mission. Through the Indian Biomedical Skill Consortium (IBSC), we are already training technicians and engineers in specialized device manufacturing. Over 150 skill programs have been designed for the medtech sector, many of which are unique to India.

We also partner with IITs, medical universities, and the upcoming Global MedTech University at AMTZ Campus to align curricula with industry needs. The idea is to create not just graduates, but industry-ready professionals who can step directly into R&D, manufacturing, or regulatory roles. Building this talent pipeline is non-negotiable if India is to sustain its medtech leadership.

YM: Access to healthcare in rural and semi-urban India remains a major challenge. What new innovations or business models excite you the most to ensure medical technologies reach beyond metros and large hospitals?

JS: Two models excite me most: mobile medtech and decentralized manufacturing. During COVID, mobile diagnostic vans developed at AMTZ reached remote areas with RT-PCR testing. That experience has evolved into scalable models—medical drones, portable dialysis units, and solar-powered diagnostic kiosks—that bring healthcare to the last mile.

Equally important is the idea of “Made in India hospitals,” where every device from surgical needles to ventilators is indigenously manufactured within AMTZ. By deploying such hospitals in Tier-III cities and rural towns, we ensure that the benefits of advanced medtech are not limited to metros but truly democratized.

YM: The COVID-19 crisis truly tested India’s med-tech capabilities and gave rise to rapid innovation. What key lessons and breakthroughs from that period continue to shape AMTZ’s vision?

JS: The pandemic was a turning point. When global supply chains collapsed, AMTZ stepped up—scaling ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and test kits at unprecedented speed. We learned that with the right ecosystem, India could move from zero to self-reliance in weeks, not years.

It also opened our eyes to the potential of mobile and modular solutions. From diagnostic vans to oxygen generation units, the crisis pushed us to innovate rapidly and deploy solutions beyond conventional healthcare infrastructure. Those lessons continue to shape how we design portable, affordable technologies for rural and disaster-response contexts today.

YM: You’ve often emphasized the alignment of policy, industry, and academia. What, in your view, is the mantra for successfully bridging these three forces for accelerating India’s med-tech journey?

JS: The mantra is simple: alignment of purpose. Policymakers seek public health outcomes, industry seeks viability, and academia seeks knowledge. When these three are made to work within a common ecosystem, the outcome is transformative. That’s what we practice at AMTZ—where Kalam Institute of Health Technology (KIHT) works on policy, MediValley incubates startups, and IBSC builds talent. By hosting platforms like the World Health Innovation Forum (WHIF), we also create global dialogue that brings all three stakeholders to the same table. That alignment is what accelerates India’s medtech journey.

YM: Finally, AMTZ has grown into Asia’s largest med-tech park in less than a decade. As you look towards 2030, what is your vision—will it be recognized primarily as a global manufacturing hub, or as a leader in research and innovation?

JS: Both—by design. AMTZ was never envisioned as just a manufacturing park. It is equally a hub of applied R&D, regulatory science, and global collaboration. Already, exports have grown from ~₹4,500 crore in 2012 to nearly ₹30,000 crore in 2025. By 2030, we aim to anchor not only component-level manufacturing but also global standards in validation and innovation.

With MediValley scaling to 300 startups, BioValley advancing biotech-medtech integration, and WHIF connecting us to global partners, AMTZ will stand as both a manufacturing powerhouse and an innovation leader. The goal is clear: make India not just self-reliant, but globally competitive and export-driven in med-tech. India’s med-tech journey is entering a “golden chapter” driven by material science and digital health. Our vision is that by 2030, at least 50% of Indian hospitals should be using 50% of devices made at AMTZ.