Converging MedTech with Affordability in 2026

On October 25, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) launched the Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA)-Medical Technology, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Gates Foundation. With an objective to accelerate innovation in India's medical technology sector, reduce reliance on high-cost imports, and promote equitable access to affordable and high-quality medical technologies, new doors are opening up for the MedTech sector in 2026, with greater emphasis on startups. Let's take a close look at how the MedTech startups are redefining India's innovation ecosystem.

- Vrushti Kothari

According to a report launched at the 17th CII Global MedTech Summit 2025, MedTech manufacturing can take the leap towards being a ~$30 billion sector by FY2030, reduce import dependency to less than 50 per cent and increase India's share to 10–12 per cent in the global market. The report also highlights the need to build an accessible innovation ecosystem through partnerships with global hospitals helping accelerate clinical validation for Indian MedTech innovations; and to facilitate global companies to setup 'Co-innovation labs' within MedTech parks in India to accelerate technology transfer, and deepen product R&D. In other words, local innovation can be fostered by promoting in-house capabilities, strengthening industry-academia collaboration and building infrastructure for low-cost prototyping and trials.

The growth of the Indian MedTech sector was also well noticed during the 11th APACMed MedTech Forum, held in September 2025 in Delhi, which was convened outside Singapore for the first time, thereby signalling India's emergence as a critical player in the global MedTech ecosystem. While multiple initiatives are being taken by the government and the industry to strengthen the domestic MedTech sector, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is taking the lead with bold innovations and new risks. As of 2025, India has an estimated 900 to 1,000 startups specifically focused on medical devices and MedTech hardware. However, when we look at the broader MedTech and health-tech landscape, which includes digital health, diagnostics, connected devices, and AI-driven healthcare solutions, the number increases significantly to around 3,000 to 6,000 active startups.

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