PM Modi urges health sector to use technology to reduce India’s dependence on medical imports
Ten News Network
Delhi (India), February 28, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the health sector to innovate and upgrade manufacturing through the use of technology to reduce India’s dependence on imports.
Speaking in a post-budget webinar on “Unleashing the Potential: Ease of Living Using Technology,” Modi said that “With the use of technology, India could become a manufacturing hub and exports would get a boost.”
India currently imports most of its medical devices, with imports rising by a record 41 percent to Rs 63,200 crore in 2021–22 from Rs 44,708 crore in FY21, according to the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD).
Modi highlighted the need to use technology to improve the quality of products and services. He cited the use of DigiLocker and the Aarogya Setu and Cowin apps as examples of how technology has helped improve citizens’ lives.
The Prime Minister also called for the removal of 40,000 compliances to reduce costs for small businesses and asked stakeholders to identify further challenges that can be resolved with the use of technology.
Finally, Modi emphasized the importance of the digital revolution reaching all sections of society, noting that technology had enabled ease of living and allowed street vendors to sell their products to the government via the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
