A Legacy In Motion: How GE HealthCare Is Powering India’s MedTech Revolution

When GE HealthCare set up its first manufacturing facility in Bengaluru in 1990, India’s healthcare industry was still finding its footing. The idea of building advanced medical technology in India, for India and the world, was visionary — long before “Make in India” became a national mantra.

Thirty-five years later, that seed of ambition has grown into a sprawling ecosystem of innovation, manufacturing, and collaboration. GE HealthCare’s presence in India today spans four manufacturing facilities, a world-class R&D centre, and a deep network of partnerships that touch millions of lives across the country. It is a story not just of machines and markets, but of how purpose-driven industrial leadership can reshape access to care — and redefine India’s place in the global MedTech map.

The year 1990 marked a turning point in India’s healthcare journey. A joint venture between GE and Wipro Enterprises led to the creation of Wipro GE Healthcare — an alliance that would soon become synonymous with medical technology in India. From its first facility in Bengaluru to its extensive presence today, the company has played a defining role in strengthening India’s healthcare infrastructure and capabilities.

“For GE HealthCare, the dream of ‘Make in India’ dates to the 1990s,” says Chaitanya Sarawate, Managing Director, Wipro GE Healthcare and President & CEO, GE HealthCare South Asia. “India was never just another business market for us — it was, and continues to be, a powerhouse of innovation and manufacturing excellence.”

“Today, GE HealthCare machines and equipment serve over 300 million patients in India and has built an install base that reaches the most remote parts of the country. From diagnostic imaging and maternal care to digital health solutions, its impact extends well beyond urban centres. The company’s footprint includes three facilities in partnership with Wipro Enterprises and one with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), as well as its largest R&D centre globally — the Healthcare Technology Centre India (HTCI).”

India’s MedTech landscape has transformed in parallel. Once heavily import-dependent, the sector is now rapidly localizing. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s medical technology exports are expected to touch US$20 billion by FY30. With global supply chains rebalancing and healthcare access expanding, GE HealthCare’s early investment in local manufacturing has proven prescient.

Investing in the Future: Commitment Beyond Numbers

Legacy alone doesn’t sustain leadership — investment does. Since inception, Wipro GE Healthcare has invested over US$4 billion in India. In 2024, the company announced a fresh ₹8,000 crore (US$1 billion) investment spread over five years in manufacturing output and local R&D.

This capital infusion builds on a long-standing philosophy: to design and manufacture medical devices that are globally competitive but locally relevant. The company’s new Medical Device Manufacturing (MDM) facility in Bengaluru, launched under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, is a tangible expression of that philosophy. The greenfield facility, set up with an investment of over ₹100 crore, operates 24/7 to produce CT scanners, MRI machines, cath labs, ultrasound systems, and patient monitoring solutions.

Under the leadership of Shuba Nagesh, Director, Supply Chain, GE HealthCare India South Asia and Managing Director, GE-BEL, the MDM facility has already helped more than double the company’s sales of locally manufactured equipment.

“Localization is not just an industrial strategy — it’s the most powerful catalyst for making affordable healthcare a reality,” says Nagesh. “By sourcing components closer to where we manufacture, we are creating a self-sustaining MedTech ecosystem that strengthens India’s healthcare independence.”

Make in India, for India — and the World

Long before the Make in India initiative took shape, GE HealthCare was already practicing its principles. Today, more than 30 products made in India are exported to over 70 countries.

From Bengaluru to Brazil, and from Lucknow to Lagos, innovations engineered in India are powering care across continents. These include solutions in diagnostic cardiology, maternal and infant care, and affordable imaging systems — products designed to bridge gaps in accessibility and affordability.

“India is poised to becoming the global MedTech manufacturing hub,” says Nagesh. “For us, it’s not just about scale — it’s about purpose. Every product designed and built here carries a piece of India’s innovation spirit to the world. Today, our factories are deep and vertically integrated - making X-ray tubes, high voltage generators, detector components, 5 axis OR tables and many more sub system components that involve process intensive complex manufacturing like vacuum & joining technology, surface preparation, furnace operations. Our factories and work force embody a patient-first approach with ethos strongly rooted in innovation and passion to solve for our customers thriving on lean philosophy and promoting flow of value,” says Nagesh.

This localization push dovetails with India’s broader policy framework. The National Medical Devices Policy 2023, coupled with schemes like PLI and Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech (PRIP), has created fertile ground for domestic production. The government’s vision to make India one of the top five global manufacturing hubs for medical devices by 2047 aligns seamlessly with GE HealthCare’s strategy.

Innovation from India: Engineering Care for the World

At the heart of GE HealthCare’s journey is its commitment to innovation — particularly through its Healthcare Technology Centre India (HTCI) in Bengaluru. Established in the early 2000s, HTCI has grown into the company’s largest R&D hub globally, driving breakthrough technologies not only for India but for GE HealthCare’s worldwide portfolio. HTC India continues to strengthen its leadership in intellectual property creation, achieving over 130+ new IPs in 2025 as of October 31.

“With over 1,250 patents and 130+ innovations, HTCI is a crucible of engineering excellence,” says Girish Raghavan, Vice President, GE HealthCare Technology Centre India, and Chief Technology Officer, Women’s Health and X-Ray. “Our work spans AI-powered diagnostics, digital imaging, and precision care — transforming how healthcare is delivered and experienced.”

Among its flagship innovations is the Revolution Aspire, a CT imaging system conceptualized and manufactured entirely in India for India. Built to perform in resource-constrained settings, it embodies the company’s philosophy of “access through design.”

Raghavan adds that the future of MedTech lies in the fusion of AI, data, and device intelligence. “Our D3 precision strategy — combining smart devices, disease-specific solutions, and digital platforms — is helping clinicians make faster, more informed decisions. Solutions like AIR™ Recon DL and Sonic DL™ are improving image quality, reducing scan times, and enhancing diagnostic confidence.”

GE HealthCare is also investing in foundation models trained on multimodal data, including full-body 3D MRI scans, to enable image-to-text search, segmentation, and disease classification. “The goal,” says Raghavan, “is to give clinicians deeper, faster insights — helping shift care from reactive to predictive.”

Globally, GE HealthCare leads the FDA’s list of AI-enabled medical device authorizations, with more than 100 such innovations. That leadership, born of a global mindset and local ingenuity, underscores India’s growing influence in shaping the future of healthcare technology.

Partnering for Impact

In a country as vast and diverse as India, no single organization can drive transformation alone. Recognizing this, GE HealthCare has consistently leaned on collaborations and partnerships to scale its impact.

“With a sprawling network of partners, our promise to revolutionize access is rooted in reach — being present where care is needed most,” says Sarawate. “We remain deeply committed to partnering with the government and healthcare institutions to advance the national health agenda.”

Under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, GE HealthCare has built the largest installation base in the country, spread across 22 states, touching the lives of seven individuals every minute.

The company’s academic and research alliances are equally strategic. It has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to co-develop and validate advanced MedTech solutions locally, and signed an MoU with AIIMS Delhi to establish an AI Health Innovation Hub focused on cardiology, oncology, and neurology. More recently, it joined hands with the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) to set up a Cancer Research & Innovation Centre in Mumbai, aimed at accelerating AI-based applications in imaging and advanced visualization tools.

“We believe collaboration is the cornerstone of innovation,” says Sarawate. “By working closely with academic and clinical partners, we can accelerate the journey from lab to market — and address India’s unique healthcare challenges head-on.”

Building India @100: Toward Viksit Bharat

India’s movement towards localization is no longer just an industrial policy — it is a social and strategic imperative. With non-communicable diseases accounting for over 60% of all deaths, the demand for accessible, precision-led care has never been greater.

As India looks ahead to Viksit Bharat 2047, GE HealthCare’s investments and innovations are aligned with the nation’s aspiration to make healthcare not a privilege, but a right. “Atmanirbhar Bharat is more than a slogan,” says Sarawate. “It’s a purpose — to build advanced, affordable healthcare solutions that can scale across geographies and demographics.”

By manufacturing key subsystems and components locally — from X-ray systems and power supply units to detector modules — GE HealthCare is helping create a resilient, self-reliant MedTech value chain. This depth of localization ensures that the benefits of innovation are not just imported but embedded within India’s economic fabric.

The Road Ahead

As GE HealthCare marks 35 years in India, it stands as a symbol of what sustained partnership, long-term vision, and technological excellence can achieve. Its journey — from a single Bengaluru plant to a global export hub — encapsulates how global expertise and local innovation can converge to create a truly inclusive healthcare ecosystem.

“The focus is on care that can solve for the patient,” Sarawate says. “A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in healthcare. Every innovation we design is built to deliver precision, accessibility, and empathy.”

India’s healthcare sector today is at an inflection point — where innovation meets intention, and technology converges with trust. In that confluence, GE HealthCare’s story stands as both a mirror and a model: a reflection of India’s MedTech progress, and a roadmap for the future of healthcare — made in India, for India, and the world.