The Hindu Business Line : GE Healthcare hopes to do a ‘Nano’ in X-ray gadgets

The medical diagnostics leader says its new ‘Tejas’ range of X-ray machines is expected to unleash a Nano-like impact in the Rs 120-crore domestic X-ray segment. Its recipe has the ingredients similar to the Tata people’s car: high technology and local manufacturing to drive up sales volumes; and lower cost for the end-user. Above all, a locally made generator apparently helped on the cost front.

Under its ‘In India, For India’ programme that began nearly 18 months back, the $17-billion healthcare arm of General Electric unveiled the first X-ray system at Thursday’s expo of the Indian Radiological & Imaging Association. It would follow with roll-outs in a couple of months of six ‘value’ products in the Tejas X-ray systems range, Mr V. Raja, President & CEO, South Asia, told a news conference.

The conventional analogue X-ray machines cost Rs 1-5 lakh while the modern digital machines come with a tag of Rs 1.5-2.5 crore. Mr Raja said GE’s new device XR 6000 would come at Rs 15 lakh and “radiologists (can) upgrade an analogue X-ray into digital X-ray for less than Rs 60 lakh” or half the price of imported digital machines. They also come with a reduced dosage of radiation, he said.

The Indian X-ray market, growing at 10 per cent annually, is estimated to reach around Rs 180 crore by 2011. Some 60,000 machines are in use across hospitals in the country in a market that is growing at 10 per cent annually. Over 10,000 digital machines are in use globally. If hospitals went digital for X-rays, the way Mr Raja hopes they would, it could mean at least a doubling of GE Healthcare’s India revenue in the short run.

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