India Pharma Outlook Team | Thursday, 24 September 2026
Karnataka flags unfair margins on medical devices and seeks wider price controls to protect patients.
The state’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration has written to central authorities and proposed a National List of Essential Medical Devices.
FDA Commissioner Srinivas K has urged the Centre to cap prices across 24 critical categories.
These include devices used in cardiovascular care, respiratory treatment, neurology, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, oncology, radiotherapy and kidney care.
The move aims to cut high out-of-pocket costs that burden families. Karnataka links the demand to existing medicine pricing gaps and positions it as a step toward broader healthcare cost control. Officials want a structured national framework that prevents excessive trade margins and improves access for patients who need these devices most.
Srinivas K sent letters dated September 18 to the Drug Controller General of India, the Department of Pharmaceuticals and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. He proposed a National List of Essential Medical Devices, or NLEMD, modeled on the National List of Essential Medicines.
The commissioner earlier raised the same concerns in an August 4 letter to the DCGI. In that letter, he recommended bringing approved devices under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order framework to stop unfair trade margins and safeguard public interest.
Only a limited number of medical devices currently face specific price-control provisions. Karnataka wants a wider system that makes essential devices more affordable and accessible.
Also Read: Counterfeit Drugs in India: How Packaging Gaps Hurt Supply Chain
Price caps on devices in the proposed list could ease the burden on public hospitals and rural health centers. Lower-income patients who currently pay high out-of-pocket amounts would gain better access to critical care tools.
Government health schemes and insurance programs could also see reduced claim costs when device prices stay within controlled limits. The 24 categories cover high-use areas that directly affect large patient populations. Better affordability in these segments would help more people receive timely treatment without financial strain.
Karnataka has suggested clear criteria for selecting devices. These include:
Karnataka has already pointed to pricing disparities in medicines. Several formulations sell at discounts of 30 percent to 50 percent from their printed MRPs. The state now extends the same concern to medical devices.
The proposal forms part of a larger effort to rein in medical inflation across India. By addressing both medicines and devices, authorities can reduce the overall financial pressure that patients face in hospitals and clinics.
Karnataka’s push comes amid a similar pricing controversy in Maharashtra, where the state FDA has highlighted wide gaps between procurement costs and maximum retail prices of hospital consumables. Together, these actions signal growing state-level pressure for national action on device pricing.
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