Kerala aims to emerge as medical devices hub in South Asia, says minister P Rajeeve

Kochi: Industries minister P Rajeeve said that Kerala has set a clear objective to emerge as a leading hub for medical devices, diagnostics and life-sciences manufacturing in South Asia He was speaking after inaugurating a high-level strategic investment facilitation dialogue for the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) and MedTech sector, convened by the industries department, in association with Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, at Nedumbassery in Kochi on Saturday. The closed-door dialogue brought together senior govt officials, global MedTech and diagnostics companies from Japan, US, China and other international markets, investment advisory firms, Indian manufacturers, healthcare service providers, research institutions and policy stakeholders. Rajeeve said that the medical devices and life sciences sector lay at the core of Kerala's development philosophy. "Kerala's growth always rooted in strong social foundations such as public health, education and human development. We consciously carried this legacy forward into advanced manufacturing, biotechnology and medical devices," he said. He underlined that biotechnology and MedTech were not niche laboratory activities but strategic pillars of Kerala's future economy. Medical devices, he noted, uniquely integrate biomaterials, advanced manufacturing, electronics, data science, clean energy and climate responsibility, making them central to future-ready industrial policy. Outlining the state's long-term investment vision, the minister said that Kerala's competitiveness rested on three foundations — exceptional human capital, policy stability with institutional continuity, and ethical, transparent governance. "In a global environment where supply chains are being re-evaluated, trust matters as much as cost. Kerala offers both," he said. Rajeeve said Kerala's Industrial Policy 2023 explicitly identifies biotechnology, life sciences and medical devices as sunrise sectors. He invited global companies to view the state not merely as a manufacturing base but as a long-term innovation partner. "The state is keen to anchor global OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), strengthen MSME supplier ecosystems and support startups in regulatory navigation and global market access. We offer talent with trust, innovation with regulation, and growth with sustainability," he said. Kerala is also proud to be India's first State with a dedicated ESG (environmental, social and governance) policy, ensuring that sustainability strengthens competitiveness rather than increasing compliance burden. "This makes Kerala-manufactured devices future-ready for regulated global markets, especially Europe and North America," he said. Agappe Diagnostics managing director Thomas John said the dialogue was intended as a catalytic platform to support Kerala's long-term MedTech roadmap. He said the company sees strong potential for India–Japan collaboration in precision diagnostics, automation, imaging and digital health, with Kerala serving as a trusted base.