Wipro GE Healthcare, a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, has announced the launch of its new manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India, under the Indian government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. The new plant, Wipro GE Medical Device Manufacturing factory (MDM), is aligned to the National Agenda of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and will further boost local manufacturing of medical devices in India.

The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) which is at the forefront of enabling a global ESDM ecosystem in Karnataka has welcomed the first association of its Partner in Progress for Electronics, System, Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Program through the inauguration of Wipro GE Healthcare’s medical devices manufacturing plant.

The plant is a 100 percent subsidiary of Wipro GE Healthcare and has been setup as a green field legal entity. The company has invested a little over ₹100 crore in this facility.

Medical equipment

A 35,000 sq ft facility, the factory is set up for 24/7 operations for manufacturing CT machines, cathlab equipment, ultrasound scanners, patient monitoring solutions, ECG machines and ventilators. It is equipped with automated testers to assess performance of the medical devices. This facility currently has 35 employees in its shopfloor which is expected to increase to 100 in next 2 to 3 years.

Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro GE Healthcare and Chairman, Wipro Enterprises, said, “India is on an accelerated growth path in gaining global prominence for medical devices manufacturing. Wipro GE Healthcare’s new factory, with support from the government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, will aid the health ecosystem in India to realise its true potential in addressing local and global challenges for healthcare providers.”

Future of MedTech

Commenting on the launch, Shravan Subramanyam, Managing Director, Wipro GE Healthcare, said, “The new facility is a testament to our continued commitment to an Atmanirbhar Bharat and is a step forward in elevating India’s capability as a global manufacturing hub. We applaud the government’s initiatives towards making India self-reliant. The new draft of the National Medical Devices Policy 2022 provides further impetus towards empowering India’s healthcare ecosystem, and we at Wipro GE Healthcare are very optimistic about the future of MedTech in India. 

“We congratulate Wipro GE Healthcare for its contribution towards boosting local manufacturing and generating employment in the local communities. Through our Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, we will provide continued support to the company’s efforts towards augmenting the ESDM sector and providing fillip to the region’s digital economy,” said C N Ashwath Narayan, Minister of Information Technology - Biotechnology, Higher Education, Science and Technology of Karnataka in his virtual address.

Importing of medical devices

Mahesh Kapri, Managing Director, GE BEL & General Manager - ISC, South Asia, GE Healthcare, said, “The country’s import dependency for medical devices stands at 75-80 per cent and for India to rise the ranks as the leading MedTech devices market, local innovation & production is pivotal. We are confident that our new factory will contribute meaningfully to India’s self-reliance goal and will accelerate India’s profile on the global product development map”

Wipro GE Healthcare Private Limited is a Joint Venture (JV) between General Electric Company, USA and Wipro Enterprises Limited, India. Established in 1990, it is one of the most successful and longest-running JVs in the region with operations spread across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. The company is the largest Medical Technology player in the South Asia region.

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