India's medical device industry, currently valued at around $14 billion, is projected to reach $250 billion by 2047, according to a FICCI-DUA White Paper released on 7 August 2025 during the inaugural session of 'India Medical Device 2026', organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in association with FICCI in New Delhi. The report charts a comprehensive roadmap for building a safe, transparent, and sustainable medical equipment maintenance ecosystem in the country.

Projected Growth Trajectory

The White Paper, titled 'Service and Maintenance of Medical Equipment in Indian Healthcare – Towards a Safe, Reliable and Sustainable Medical Device Maintenance Ecosystem', projects that India's medical device sector will reach $30–50 billion within this decade before scaling to $250 billion by the centenary of India's independence. Key growth drivers identified include rising healthcare demand, accelerating adoption of advanced medical technologies, government support for indigenous manufacturing, and India's ambition to become a global MedTech hub.

Role of Government Schemes

According to the White Paper, India has made measurable progress through initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme and the strengthening of the Medical Devices Industry Scheme, both of which have bolstered domestic manufacturing capabilities and improved the country's global competitiveness. Notably, these schemes are credited with laying the foundation for a more self-reliant medical device supply chain — a priority that gained urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic, when import dependency exposed critical vulnerabilities.

The Maintenance Gap

The report stresses, however, that manufacturing alone will not sustain sectoral growth. It argues that the value of medical technologies extends well beyond procurement and depends on reliable servicing throughout their operational lifecycle. Proper maintenance, the paper notes, improves patient safety, enhances clinical effectiveness, reduces equipment downtime, extends equipment life, and optimises healthcare investments — a dimension that has historically received far less policy attention than manufacturing.

Key Recommendations

To address the maintenance gap, the White Paper proposes a risk-tiered hybrid maintenance framework anchored in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) device classification system. It recommends maintenance protocols based on device risk categories, the creation of a national certification architecture for service engineers, strengthened technical training, commercial model innovation, and rationalisation of the fiscal framework to promote compliant maintenance practices. The report also advocates wider adoption of digital technologies — including predictive maintenance, digital monitoring, and lifecycle management systems — to improve equipment reliability and minimise downtime.

What This Means for Indian Healthcare

Medical equipment today forms the backbone of modern healthcare, supporting timely diagnosis, emergency response, surgeries, and advanced treatment, the report observes. As India scales its hospital infrastructure — particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities — a world-class servicing ecosystem will be as critical as the devices themselves. The FICCI-DUA roadmap, if adopted, could set the regulatory and commercial architecture for the next two decades of MedTech growth in India.