Good morning friend,
Let me begin with welcoming all the Swiss and Indian participants to this Webinar focused on Medical Devices and Technologies sector. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Engineering Export Promotion Council of India and Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce in organising this Webinar. I also extend my thanks to Swiss Medtech for partnering for this Webinar.
Let me also recall that this Embassy had organised the Ayushman Bharat Summit in January 2019 and a Webinar on Opportunities in Indian Medical Technology Sector in May 2020. This event today builds on these previous events organised by the Embassy of India, Berne.
Friends, India and Switzerland share a long history of warm and cordial relations. Our bilateral relations are referred to as A Long Standing Dynamic Partnership. A Treaty of Friendship was signed between India and Switzerland in 1948. It was one of the first friendship treaties signed by independent India.
Today, India-Switzerland bilateral engagement is maintained at the highest level. The Hon’ble President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind undertook a State Visit to Switzerland in September 2019. High-level delegations from India regularly participate at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. A rich interaction is taking place between Indian and Swiss business ecosystems. Our R&D ecosystems and Start Up ecosystems are also synergising.
Switzerland is India’s 11th largest trading partner and the 12th largest investor into India. There is tremendous potential to enhance our bilateral trade as well as bilateral investments. In order to further strengthen our bilateral trade and investment relations, this Embassy is executing the Momentum In India: Swiss SMEs Programme. The third year of this programme referred to as MISSP 3.0 was launched on 1 March 2021. In its second year, the programme onboarded 94 Swiss companies.
Friends, today we are building a New India which is Self-Reliant. It does not mean reverting to economic isolationism but to ensure India’s position as a key participant in global supply chains. India used to import PPE kits, masks, ventilators, testing kits, etc. During this corona period, India boosted its strength and today it has not only become self-reliant but has also started exporting many of these products.
The guiding philosophy for the Government of India is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which means the world is one family. India has assisted the world in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, by providing medicines and other necessary equipment to more than 150 countries. India is also supplying 'Made in India' COVID 19 vaccines to the world by ways of grants, commercial sales by manufacturers, and through GAVI’s COVAX facility. Till date, 'Made in India' COVID 19 vaccines have been supplied to more than 70 countries.
To promote manufacturing in India and to make it globally competitive, the approach of Government of India is Minimum Government, Maximum Governance and Zero Effect, Zero Defect. Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme have been introduced in key sectors for enhancing India’s Manufacturing Capabilities. These sectors include Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices sector.
Friends, Medical Devices is a sunrise sector in India. India also has an evolved advantage of vast pool technical skills and strong ICT sector which is supporting Medical Technologies with emerging technology areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Remote Monitoring and Diagnostics, Tele-Medicines etc. Potential Medical Technology products and sub-sectors for collaboration between India and Switzerland could include Surgical Equipments, Electro Medical Apparatus, Testing and Measuring Equipments and apparatus, X Ray equipments, Parts and components, Orthopaedic appliances, Physical and chemical analysis and testing equipments, Other Mechano Therapy and Breathing applicances, amongst others. Medical devices to reduce hospital induced infections is another promising area for collaboration.
There are tremendous complementarities between India and Switzerland in the MedTech sector and I am hopeful that this virtual interaction today would facilitate greater engagement between India and Switzerland in this sector.
With these words, I again welcome all the participants and look forward to fruitful discussions.
Thanks you.
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