AGRA - The economic advantages of local manufacturing, coupled with the drawbacks of a high import-duty structure, saw two big imaging vendors, GE Healthcare and Siemens Medical Solutions, debut locally manufactured, cost-competitive products for the Indian market at the 58th congress of the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association in Agra.
GE introduced a conventional radiography system, GE HF Advantage, powered by a second-generation high-frequency generator and priced around Rs 10 lakh. Siemens introduced a locally manufactured high-frequency C-arm image intensifier, priced at Rs 12 lakh and upwards.
This is the first time a second-generation high-frequency x-ray unit is being introduced in India, according to Gopikrishnan K, national product manager for x-ray of Wipro GE Healthcare. "In India, existing x-ray systems are of two-pulse technology and below 15 kW," he said.
Import duties on x-ray systems are as high as 25% to 35%, although they have been brought down for other imaging equipment such as CT.
GE believes the product will hold its own in the global market and is likely to be exported to countries in Europe and Latin America, among others. It has been designed and developed in India, in addition to being manufactured locally.
Siemens, which introduced the C-arm image intensifier, Multimobil 5D, said the system was powered by a high-frequency generator and is comparable to the company’s Siremobil product series in Germany. "By using local manufacturing we have been able to lower the price point," Siemens executives said.
The imaging vendors also announced the Indian launch of products that debuted at RSNA 2004 in December last. Philips said it was focused on the Indian launch of the Brilliance 64 CT scanner. It expects to announce new launches in ultrasound at the upcoming USCON conference in Pune next month.
Toshiba launched mobile ultrasound systems, Famio 5 and Famio 8, and colour Doppler US, Xario, through its Indian partner Erbis Engineering Co Ltd.
By N. Shivapriya
AuntMinnieIndia.com staff writer
January 23, 2005
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