The global medical technology industry is undergoing a significant realignment as manufacturers seek resilient supply chains, governments pursue strategic healthcare self-reliance, and new trade agreements reshape market access. For India, these shifts present a rare opportunity to strengthen its position as a global hub for medical device manufacturing, innovation, and exports.
Recent developments, including the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreement, are expected to create fresh opportunities for Indian MedTech companies by improving market access, facilitating regulatory cooperation, and enabling deeper participation in global value chains. At the same time, ongoing efforts by multinational OEMs to diversify sourcing beyond China are accelerating interest in India as a reliable manufacturing and innovation destination.
At the centre of this transformation is the World Trade Centre Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ), one of the world's largest integrated medical technology manufacturing ecosystems. Through advanced testing and certification infrastructure, shared manufacturing facilities, innovation support, and global trade connectivity, AMTZ is working to help Indian MedTech companies become internationally competitive and export-ready.
In this exclusive interaction with MedTech Spectrum, Dr. Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director and Founder CEO of WTC Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ), and Hema Sundar, Market Research Analyst, Medical Devices, discuss the implications of emerging trade agreements, India's growing role in global healthcare supply chains, the opportunities created by shifting geopolitical dynamics, and the capabilities Indian MedTech companies must develop to compete successfully on the world stage.
How do you see the recently concluded UK-India FTA and the EFTA agreement reshaping export opportunities for India’s MedTech industry over the next five years?
The UK FTA is the near-term story. Before this, we were growing exports to the UK at 6 to 8 per cent annually, Rs997 crore in FY24, steady but unremarkable. The FTA introduces a structural break. Indian surgical instruments, ECG machines, and X-ray systems now get zero-duty access to the UK, while competitors like China, Brazil, and Vietnam still face full duties. That's not a marginal improvement; that's a repricing of Indian competitiveness in one of the world's most demanding regulated markets. Our FY27 projection, drawing on the India- Australia ECTA experience, is a 13 per cent jump to Rs 1,284 crore and that's just the first year of measurable impact. The ambition being discussed is tripling exports to the UK by 2030.
However, Sustained export growth over the next five years will depend equally on whether Indian manufacturers can reliably meet the quality benchmarks, regulatory documentation, and supply consistency that UK institutional buyers demand. This is where AMTZ's role becomes particularly relevant. Through integrated manufacturing infrastructure, internationally benchmarked testing and certification facilities, and structured regulatory support, AMTZ equips manufacturers, especially those entering export markets for the first time, with the operational readiness that market access alone cannot provide. As demand scales across established export categories such as syringes, haemodialysers, orthopaedic implants, and ophthalmic instruments, AMTZ is well-positioned to serve as the industrial foundation from which Indian medtech transitions from a price-competitive supplier to a quality-assured, strategically preferred partner within the UK supply chain.
Beyond tariff reductions, what non-tariff advantages do these FTAs offer Indian medical device manufacturers in areas such as regulatory?
Before this agreement, UK import duties on Indian devices were already low in many categories, so tariffs weren't always the real blocker. What was blocking us was the approval time and cost. Earlier, we were importing Rs 2,277 crore worth of devices from the UK in FY24, nearly 2.3 times what we exported. That asymmetry isn't a tariff problem; it's a compliance friction and capability gap problem.
Tariffs were never the primary barrier. India's medtech exports to the UK stood at Rs 997.54 crore in 2023–24 against imports of Rs 2,277 crore, a 2.3 times deficit that reflects compliance friction and capability gaps far more than duty structures. The UK-India FTA addresses these structural barriers directly, and that is where its most enduring value lies.
The FTA also incorporates robust Rules of Origin provisions with digital certificates of origin and customs monitoring mechanisms directly addressing industry concerns, notably raised by AiMeD, around Chinese goods being rerouted through UK entities to access preferential treatment. This anti-circumvention safeguard ensures that the competitive advantage accrues exclusively to genuinely Indian-manufactured devices.
On supply chain integration, preferential rules of origin open pathways for Indian manufacturers to participate in multi-country value chains, creating conditions to move beyond high-volume consumables toward diagnostics, implantable, and capital equipment. The FTA's provisions for joint R&D and public-private partnerships aligned with India's National Medical Devices Policy further extend this opportunity toward technology transfer and co-development, compounding benefits that outlast any single trade cycle.
AMTZ is structurally positioned to capture these non-tariff gains at scale. Its TUV Rheinland-operated Centre for Electromagnetic Compatibility and Safety Testing, Centre for Biomaterial Testing certified to ISO 10993, NABL-accredited Medi Valley laboratories, Gamma Irradiation Centre, and the newly launched World Trade Centre Tower housing rapid prototyping labs and dedicated regulatory support services collectively ensure that manufacturers within the AMTZ ecosystem are compliance-ready from the outset, not as an afterthought. For UK procurement bodies and global OEMs, this translates into a single, credible destination to identify, qualify, and scale Indian supply partnerships, significantly reducing their supplier qualification burden while positioning Indian manufacturers as compliance-assured, strategically reliable partners in global healthcare supply chains.
As OEMs diversify away from China, what does India specifically offer today?
The context here has shifted quite dramatically and quite fast. Since June 2025, EU regulation has barred Chinese companies from MedTech public tenders above €5 million, and for non-Chinese bidders, Chinese components can't exceed 50 per cent of the contract value. The US is also moving on tariffs against Chinese MedTech.
India's position at the moment is quite strong. Domestic manufacturing's share of MedTech demand has gone from 20 per cent in 2022 to nearly 45 per cent in 2025, that's a significant shift in a short time. And a BCG, AiMeD, and KIHT joint report has put India's contract manufacturing potential at $7 billion by 2035.
We exported $3.8 billion in MedTech in FY24, targeting $10 billion, with markets spanning the US, Germany, UAE, Singapore, Brazil, and parts of Africa. The framing has genuinely shifted, is increasingly being treated as an important supply base, not just a domestic market opportunity.
What India offers today is not merely a lower-cost alternative, but a structurally de-risked one. A stable regulatory jurisdiction, a workforce of over 1.5 million STEM graduates annually, an established export basket spanning consumables to implantables, and a policy environment anchored by the ₹3,420 crore Production Linked Incentive scheme collectively present a compelling proposition for OEMs evaluating long-term sourcing partnerships.
AMTZ specifically embodies what India offers in concentrated form. Spanning 270 acres in Visakhapatnam with over 180 manufacturing units, 18 advanced scientific laboratories, shared sterilisation, gamma irradiation, EMC testing, and prototyping infrastructure all within a single campus, AMTZ eliminates the greenfield investment burden that typically delays OEM entry into new manufacturing geographies by 3 to 5 years. For a global OEM seeking to qualify an Indian supply partner, AMTZ reduces that process from a fragmented, multi-vendor exercise to a structured, ecosystem-level engagement offering the manufacturing depth, compliance infrastructure, and regulatory familiarity that make India not just an option in supply chain diversification, but the most prepared one.
How is WTC Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) evolving to support globally competitive manufacturing, testing, R&D, and export readiness?
AMTZ was conceived as a national initiative to transform India's medical technology ecosystem by creating an integrated manufacturing and innovation platform.
Today, it has evolved into one of the world's most comprehensive MedTech manufacturing ecosystems, bringing together manufacturers, innovators, healthcare institutions, testing facilities, regulatory support systems, academic institutions, and investors within a single collaborative environment.
The focus is no longer limited to manufacturing alone. AMTZ is increasingly facilitating advanced product development, clinical validation, quality assurance, certification support, export preparedness, and international collaborations.
As healthcare technologies become more sophisticated—with growing adoption of AI, digital health, robotics, smart diagnostics, and connected medical devices—AMTZ is expanding its capabilities to support next-generation innovation.
Equally important is its role in enabling startups and MSMEs to access infrastructure that would otherwise require significant capital investment. By reducing barriers to innovation and scaling, AMTZ is helping Indian companies compete more effectively in international markets.
The vision is to create an ecosystem where a healthcare innovation can move seamlessly from concept to global commercialisation.
In what ways can the WTCA global network help Indian MedTech startups and MSMEs connect with international buyers, distributors, investors, and healthcare ecosystems?
In the modern economy, access to global networks is often as valuable as access to capital.
The World Trade Centre’s Association (WTCA) network spans more than 300 cities and business ecosystems across nearly 100 countries and territories around the world, creating a powerful platform for international trade, investment, and business development.
For MedTech startups and MSMEs, one of the greatest challenges is establishing credibility and market access in foreign markets. The WTCA ecosystem helps bridge this gap by providing access to potential buyers, distributors, healthcare institutions, investors, regulatory experts, and strategic partners.
Beyond introductions, the network facilitates participation in trade missions, industry forums, business matchmaking programs, investor engagements, and market-entry initiatives.
For healthcare innovators, this means accelerated access to international opportunities that might otherwise take years to develop independently.
As healthcare becomes increasingly global, networks such as WTCA play a critical role in connecting innovation ecosystems and enabling cross-border collaboration.
What critical capabilities must Indian MedTech companies strengthen to fully leverage the opportunities created by these trade agreements?
The opportunities created by these agreements are substantial, but success will depend on the readiness of Indian companies to compete globally.
First and foremost, companies must invest in quality systems that meet international regulatory requirements. Global healthcare markets increasingly demand stringent compliance with standards related to safety, efficacy, traceability, and quality assurance.
Second, innovation must become a strategic priority. Companies that focus solely on manufacturing existing products may face limitations in long-term competitiveness. Intellectual property development, product differentiation, and technology leadership will become increasingly important.
Third, regulatory expertise must be strengthened. Understanding diverse global regulatory frameworks is essential for efficient market access.
Fourth, companies must embrace advanced manufacturing technologies, digitalisation, automation, and data-driven quality management systems.
Finally, organisations need to develop stronger global business capabilities, including international marketing, distribution partnerships, clinical evidence generation, and post-market support.
The future belongs not merely to manufacturers but to globally competitive healthcare technology companies capable of delivering innovation, quality, and value at scale.
How do integrated trade ecosystems such as WTC Pune and WTC AMTZ contribute to reducing international market-entry risks for emerging MedTech companies?
International expansion is often associated with significant challenges, including regulatory complexity, market intelligence gaps, partner identification, financing constraints, and operational risks.
Integrated trade ecosystems address these challenges by creating a structured support environment.
WTC Pune and WTC AMTZ bring together critical elements required for successful global expansion—industry expertise, business networks, infrastructure, trade facilitation services, innovation support, and international connectivity.
Such ecosystems reduce information asymmetry and provide companies with access to trusted partners and market intelligence. They also create opportunities for collaboration among manufacturers, researchers, healthcare providers, investors, and policymakers.
For emerging MedTech companies, this integrated approach significantly reduces the cost, time, and uncertainty associated with entering international markets.
The result is a more efficient pathway from innovation to global commercialisation.
Looking back on the 2026 WTCA Global Business Forum (GBF) in Philadelphia, what emerging opportunities do you foresee for Indian MedTech and life sciences companies on the global stage?
The healthcare industry is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history.
Artificial intelligence, precision medicine, digital therapeutics, remote healthcare, wearable technologies, robotics, advanced diagnostics, regenerative medicine, and personalised healthcare are fundamentally redefining how healthcare is delivered.
India possesses significant strengths across many of these domains, including software expertise, engineering talent, clinical capabilities, manufacturing scale, and cost-efficient innovation.
The 2026 WTCA Global Business Forum, hosted by WTC Greater Philadelphia in April, presented an important opportunity for Indian MedTech and life sciences companies to showcase these capabilities to global stakeholders.
We anticipated growing opportunities in cross-border R&D collaborations, strategic investments, joint ventures, digital health partnerships, advanced manufacturing initiatives, and healthcare infrastructure projects.
Most importantly, the Forum highlighted India's transition from being viewed primarily as a large healthcare market to being recognised as a global innovation and manufacturing powerhouse.
The coming decade may well be remembered as the period when India emerged as one of the world's most influential contributors to healthcare technology, medical innovation, and healthcare accessibility. Through the combined strengths of trade agreements, innovation ecosystems, and global business networks, India is uniquely positioned to shape the future of healthcare on a global scale.
Additional Analysis: India–UK FTA Impact on MedTech Exports
The India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) provides near duty-free access for approximately 99 per cent of Indian exports to the UK, creating a significant opportunity for Indian medical device manufacturers.
India's MedTech exports to the UK increased from Rs 997.54 crore in FY 2023–24 to an estimated Rs 1,136.69 crore in FY 2025–26, representing cumulative growth of nearly 14 per cent even before the FTA becomes operational.
Based on benchmarking against the India–Australia ECTA experience, exports are projected to grow by 13 per cent in FY 2026–27, reaching approximately Rs 1,284.46 crore, while imports are expected to grow by 7 per cent to Rs 2,173.44 crore.
The UK currently imports a broad range of Indian MedTech products, including syringes, artificial teeth, dialysis apparatus, contact lenses, artificial joints, ophthalmic instruments, orthopaedic appliances, and rehabilitation devices.
The projected increase of Rs147.77 crore in exports during the first year of implementation indicates the beginning of a structural shift rather than a one-time trade spike. As regulatory familiarity, distributor networks, and joint innovation programmes mature, the medium-term impact could be substantially higher.
AMTZ is strategically positioned to capture this opportunity by enabling globally compliant manufacturing, testing, certification, and export readiness for Indian MedTech startups and manufacturers.
The convergence of FTAs, supply-chain diversification away from China, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and integrated ecosystems such as AMTZ creates a unique opportunity for India to emerge as a global MedTech manufacturing and innovation hub.
