AP MedTech Zone emerges as world's largest cluster

Made In Lockdown

- The zone was inaugurated on Dec 13, 2018

- Despite lockdown, it progressed

- AMTZ produced and supplied 11 lakh RT-PCR kits per day

- It's against all India requirements of 12 lakh RT-PCRs

- The zone supplied kits at Rs218 each

- Imported Korean kits purchased at Rs4,250 per kit

- It's first to make MRI, CT Scan and Cat Lab

- It's common manufacturing facilities along with scientific infra

Visakhapatnam: AP Med Tech Zone (AMTZ), recognised as India's largest life-saving medical devices manufacturing cluster, has carved a niche for itself as one among the leading clusters in the world within less than four years of its inauguration.

Developed in an area of 270 acres as an exclusive park for manufacturing medical devices with the initiative of the State Government and medical devices manufacturers to reduce substantially India's dependence on imported devices at Nadupuru village adjacent to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), the cluster today has become a beehive of activity for the scientific community by becoming home for over 100 manufacturing units.

The zone's success has showcased modern India before the world in medtech and innovations in a record 342 days. The zone was inaugurated on December 13, 2018.

Dr. Jitendra Sharma, MD and CEO of AMTZ, who is being described as the 'MedTech Man of India' by many in the medtech field for his pioneering role in bringing several investors to the zone, told Bizz Buzz in an exclusive interview that despite the lockdown, AMTZ has emerged as the world's largest medical equipment cluster by providing all the scientific services required for medical equipment production under one roof.

"It has 18 services at one place whereas China has 11 and USA seven. Today we are the first to make MRI, CT Scan and Cat Lab despite the lockdown," he stated.

AMTZ has common manufacturing facilities along with scientific infrastructure including specialised labs, testing centres and warehouses, Center for Electromagnetic Compatibility and safety testing, Gamma Irradiation Center, Center for Biomedical Testing, Center for 3-D Printing, Center for Lasers, MRI Superconducting Magnets, Gamma Irradiation Center, Mold & Machining Center and other service centers.

It has won accolades for innovations such as mobile container hospitals, mobile RT-PCR vehicles and mobile oxygen plants at a time when the country was battling to save lives during the first and second spells of the pandemic.

Dr Sharma, who is also credited with penning a book on the success story of AMTZ under the title 'Made In Lockdown,' said the zone has superior facilities for making medical devices than Shanghai MedTech Zone and Jebel Ali Free Zone. During the peak of Covid-19, AMTZ could manufacture and supply 11 lakh RT-PCR kits per day as against all India requirements of 12 lakh RT-PCRs. "We could supply at Rs.218 when imported Korean kits used to be purchased at Rs.4,250 per kit," he pointed out.

Visakhapatnam was chosen to set up the zone to save foreign exchange and reduce cost of healthcare at a time when India was importing 75 per cent of medical devices required by it. "The recent decision to recognise Kalam Institute of Health Technology (KIHT) located in our zone as the world's first WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO-CC) is a feather on our cap," he said.

Dr Sharma said at present, the zone is 70 per cent full with 684 projects on-hand and over 1,000 equipment. "We have made headway in 3D printing technology and recently made bioears-sound reducing soft silicone earplugs for children-the second in the world after Australia.

Despite the lockdown, AMTZ has emerged as the world's largest medical equipment cluster by providing all the scientific services required for medical equipment production under one roof. It has 18 services at one place whereas China has 11 and USA seven

- Dr Jitendra Sharma, MD and CEO of AMTZ