New Delhi, July 21: The MedTech Association of India (MTaI) will convene an exclusive, closed-door roundtable on 31st July 2026, bringing together senior policymakers, diplomats, trade experts, regulators and industry leaders to deliberate on how India’s evolving Free Trade Agreement (FTA) strategy can strengthen the country’s position as a trusted global MedTech partner, while improving patient access to advanced healthcare technologies.
This roundtable comes at a moment when India’s FTA landscape is moving at unprecedented pace. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) came into force on 15th July 2026, while the India-EU Free Trade Agreement — concluded in January 2026 after nearly two decades of negotiations — is expected to enter into force in the near future. With multiple agreements now converging, MTaI believes the moment calls for deeper engagement on how these frameworks translate into real outcomes for the MedTech sector, which is why this roundtable is bringing together diplomats from several countries to examine the roadmap ahead.
Themed “FTA Frameworks in an Evolving Global Order: Shaping the Healthcare Roadmap,” the invitation-only dialogue comes at a defining moment for global trade, as Free Trade Agreements evolve from being instruments of tariff reduction into strategic frameworks for investment, technology partnerships, resilient supply chains, and regulatory cooperation. Healthcare and medical technology sit at the heart of this transformation, with modern FTAs increasingly shaping trusted partnerships, regulatory convergence, advanced manufacturing and seamless technology flows across borders.
The dialogue aims to establish an empirical roadmap that strengthens global investor trust in India’s MedTech sector, mitigates supply chain vulnerabilities, and secures long-term foreign direct investment — across R&D, manufacturing and training — by aligning economic diplomacy with domestic trade policy.
The roundtable is being convened as part of a series of milestone engagements marking a decade of MTaI’s continued commitment to advancing India’s medical technology ecosystem, reflecting the association’s sustained role in bridging industry, policy and patient interests over the last ten years.
Discussions at the roundtable are expected to span the effective implementation of tariff provisions, including swift government notifications, streamlined customs procedures and clear product classification systems that prevent delays in businesses realising FTA benefits; and the removal of non-tariff barriers, given that regulatory fragmentation often poses a greater obstacle to trade than tariffs themselves.
“Trade policy and healthcare policy are increasingly inseparable. A well-designed FTA framework can accelerate technology transfer, deepen local manufacturing and bring the latest medical innovations to Indian patients faster. This roundtable is an opportunity to translate that shared vision into practical, implementable recommendations for policymakers,” said, Mr. Pavan Choudary, Chairman, MTaI.
The dialogue will also explore strengthening investment and regulatory support through joint monitoring committees, regulator-to-regulator dialogue and dedicated problem-solving mechanisms that can attract FDI, enable technology transfer and build supply chain resilience; as well as facilitating services and skilled workforce mobility. Underlying all of this will be a conversation on building strong institutional mechanisms, recognising that the real measure of an FTA’s success lies not in trade volumes alone, but in its ability to drive innovation, enhance access to quality healthcare, generate employment and expand manufacturing capacity.