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India’s med-tech industry has noted that the Union government’s reduction of GST on medical devices is a decisive step toward making healthcare more affordable and accessible. The move is also expected to accelerate domestic manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, boosting self-reliance in medical technology. It drives a wider adoption of advanced diagnostic and treatment tools, reduce costs for patients, and create a more supportive ecosystem for innovation and production within the sector.
Anish Bafna, CEO and MD, Healthium Medtech, said the recent GST reforms mark a pivotal moment for India’s healthcare. Lowering GST on medical devices and consumables from 12% to 5% will significantly improve affordability and access to quality care for patients. Medical devices play a vital role in delivering advanced treatments and this rate reduction will encourage adoption of diagnostic and preventive healthcare technologies, especially in the Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions.
The GST Council has also exempted the levy on all individual health insurance policies and the reinsurance thereof. Such policy changes expand insurance penetration among middle-class households, reducing out-of-pocket expenses that are a significant barrier to healthcare access, he added.
We also commend the government’s focus on resolving the long-standing inverted duty structure issue. Addressing this structural problem will improve cost efficiency, support domestic manufacturing and allow the industry to channel more resources into innovation and service delivery. We look forward to collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure that these benefits are effectively passed on to the patients and healthcare consumers, contributing to the development of a sustainable healthcare system for Indians, Bafna told Pharmabiz in an email.
Chiming in on a similar note was Dr. Shravan Subramanyam, managing director, BPL Medical Technologies who said, that for patients, this translates into lower treatment costs and better access to advanced medical care. For us, it allows greater price competitiveness, helping us pass on the benefit to customers while strengthening our reach across hospitals, clinics, and homecare segments. We see this as a big enabler for growth, as it supports our mission of delivering affordable, world-class, ‘Made in India’ medical solutions while empowering us to scale up innovation and expand into newer markets.
Dr. Vishwa Pascual Srivastava, MD and chief executive officer – APAC, SS Innovations International (SSII) said that hospitals and surgeons will benefit from a 7% direct saving on capital expenditure, helping to overcome key barriers to adopting technologies such as surgical robotics. This directly supports SSII’s mission to democratize access to advanced surgical care through tele-enabled, high-precision robotic platform, particularly in government and underserved healthcare settings.
The reform marks a significant step forward in India’s healthcare landscape. With tele-surgeries now being performed across thousands of kilometres, new possibilities for accessible, high-quality healthcare across India and globally has opened up. Moreover, it will also allow millions of patients to benefit from minimally invasive procedures at a lower cost, aligning perfectly with India’s larger goal of universal, quality healthcare. The future of surgery is borderless, and this reform is a transformative step in bridging geographic barriers, enabling expert surgical interventions to reach remote and resource-limited regions, noted Srivastava.
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