PM Modi exhorts health sector to upgrade manufacturing with tech to reduce import reliance

Our efforts are making lives of poor & unprivileged, better, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 27 exhorted the health sector to improvise and upgrade manufacturing with the use of technology to reduce dependence on the large imports that India makes.

"We import a lot in the health sector. Indian manufacturing needs to upgrade in the health sector. To create a manufacturing hub aiming at zero defect, it needs to be driven by technology. Exports will get a push with India becoming a manufacturing hub," Modi said in a post-budget webinar on 'Unleashing the Potential: Ease of living using technology'.

The Prime Minister has in a series of such events called for greater use of technology to improve the quality of products and services, while laying emphasising on steps taken in the Budget 2023 to improve the lives of citizens.

India’s dependency on imported medical devices has grown to an alarming level as demand increases. Medical device imports rose by a record 41 percent to Rs 63,200 crore in 2021-22 from Rs 44,708 crore in FY21, the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) has said.

India’s medical device market is estimated at more than $11 billion (Rs 87,752 crore), with overseas suppliers contributing over 70 percent.

To achieve the dream of India becoming a developed nation by 2047, it is necessary that technology is adopted, the Prime Minister said. "This century is technology driven which should empower common man," he said.

Also read: PM Modi pushes for solar power, group housing models to reach the last mile

Ease of compliance

To reduce the costs for small businesses, the government had done away with 40,000 compliances and the stakeholders may make a new list of these that they want to be removed.

Stakeholders need to identify challenges faced by people which can be resolved with the use of technology, he said.

Modi cited the example of DigiLocker, saying the facility to digitally share, store and verify documents was being used by MSMEs and its use can be expanded further.

With the use of technology, the country had adopted faceless resolution and taxpayers were able to communicate with ease with the government.

"Digital revolution benefits should reach all sections of society. Aarogya Setu, Cowin app technology has helped tracking of vaccinated (people) during COVID. Technology has enabled ease of living. Even the street vendors can now sell their products to the government using the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal," he said.