National Medical Devices Policy, 2023
Also called: NMDP 2023 · Topic: Industrial Policy, Public Sector, MSMEs and Disinvestment · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 (NMDP 2023) is the government's overall plan for India's medical device industry. Medical devices are items like syringes, implants, MRI machines and testing equipment. The policy was announced in April 2023 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Its main goal is to grow the sector from US$11 billion to US$50 billion. It matters because India buys most of its devices from abroad, and the policy aims to make more of them at home. It covers several areas: simpler rules, shared infrastructure such as testing labs and device parks, research and innovation, investment and skilled workers.
Example
A Parliamentary Standing Committee report (February 2024) found that about 80% of medical devices sold in India are imported, and 70% of high-end ones. NMDP 2023 sets the target that schemes aim at. The main one is the PLI scheme for medical devices, launched in March 2020 with ₹3,420 crore. It pays firms based on what they actually produce in India.
Don't confuse with
- PLI Scheme for Medical Devices (PLI-MD): this is one scheme that pays output-linked incentives, meaning money tied to actual production. NMDP 2023 is the wider policy that sets the goal. It is not a payment scheme itself.
- Medical Device Rules, 2017: these are quality and safety rules enforced by CDSCO, the national drug and device regulator, under the Health Ministry. NMDP 2023 is about growing the industry, not about licensing device quality.