During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as the number of cases rose and hospitals filled with patients, the healthcare system and even the common citizens needed more of everything urgently diagnostic kits, personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, masks, ventilators and more. In that situation, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were some of the first educational institutions to step up.
The IITs produced diagnostic kits and rapid tests; designed low-cost ventilators; special masks and PPE; sanitation systems in a short period of time. The IITs have continued to build on that momentum with new research centres, labs and collaborations.
India typically imports 87 percent of the total medical devices and equipment, worth approximately Rs. 50,000 crore every year, said B Ravi, institute chair professor, mechanical engineering department at IIT Bombay.
"We realized we can make the medical equipment required, our students can, although there are hiccups," said Amitabha Bandopadhyay, professor and in-charge bio-incubator facility, IIT Kanpur. He was part of the team that designed and built a viable low-cost ventilator within a week, in the early stages of the pandemic.
Testing problems
While India has skill and manufacturing costs are low, the main deterrent to development of medical equipment was the cost of research and development, safety testing and human clinical trials. "These cannot be avoided due to regulatory requirements, nor compromised since they directly affect product quality and reliability," said Ravi, adding, "marketing and distribution are also important to improve the visibility and availability of the devices among target users."
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100 Best Business Schools In The Country
For Careers360's 2025 B-school ranking, we ranked 100 public and private management institutions and rated over 500, dividing them into zones and city clusters
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The Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) at the University of Delhi (DU) is one of India's premier business schools offering MBA courses at a relatively low cost, compared to most leading business schools in India. Celebrating its 70th year, it is also one of the first university-based business schools. In an interview with Sanjay, head and dean of FMS A Venkat Raman spoke about the functioning of a business school under a central university, challenges, courses and future plans. He also spoke on the Common Admission Test (CAT) and its impact on diversity in student cohorts. Edited excerpts
