AMTZ holds MedAsia Business Forum at Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: In its continuing efforts to promote medical technology in the country, Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) organised a mega business conference meeting in Visakhapatnam. MedAsia Business Forum brought together nearly 200 medical device manufacturers, OEM facilitators, MSMEs, innovators, start-ups, design solutions, venture fund managers, government entities.

AMTZ is a flagship project begun in 2017 by the Government of Andhra Pradesh aiming to disrupt the medical technology in the world by combining science with brick and mortar to break the glass ceiling in the healthcare sector by manufacturing MedTech products in the country, and make healthcare more accessible to the common man.  

In his opening remarks, Dr Jitender Sharma, MD and CEO, AMTZ, detailed the journey of AMTZ since 2017 and how in a short time spam this project has shaken the myth of a government company being slow in project implementation.   He highlighted the need for India to focus more on science for technology-oriented product development and how coming together of science and innovation with supporting infrastructure can make India a leader in technology-oriented sectors.

Mr J Krishna Kishore, CEO, Economic Development Board, while congratulating the AMTZ under the leadership if Dr Sharma, highlighted the initiatives taken by the AP Government forging a new AP under the leadership of Mr Chandra Babu Naidu.

Mr Rajiv Nath, Chairman of Association of Indian Medical Devices (AiMeD), lauded the leadership to steer this much needed intervention of making cost effective medical devices in the country, which is presently under the grip of MNCs who sell products at exorbitant prices. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Veena Kohli, President ADMI, highlighted the role of diagnosis a precursor for treatments and the gross underplaying of diagnostics by the medical fraternity.

The Brand Ambassador for AMTZ, Mr Virender Sehwag, roped by the AP Government, was present in the conference and offered his support of this majestic initiative of AP Government, which would address the needs of many poor patients in the county.

The event also saw the launch of first ever hearing test app at the event by Medi Valley, the incubation arm of AMTZ.

AMTZ signed two MoUs one with BioRx Ventures for promoting innovations, prototypes and all intellectual property in MedTech and Inkoolu Pvt limited, a design solutions entity for medical technologies at AMTZ. The daylong conference concluded with a panel discussion, the topic being – “Various Financing Options and Investment Attractiveness of Medical Devices Sector in India.