New Delhi: The Textiles Ministry is pushing for amendments in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to ensure that quality standards are set for new medical textiles used in products like baby diapers, contact lenses and surgical gloves to promote their sales.
"Last month, we had written to the Health Ministry to
make some changes in the Act. Including such items in the
statute will help in setting up of certain level of standards
which will benefit hospitals and manufacturers," a Textiles
Ministry official said.
At present, medical products made out of woven and cotton
are included under the law.
While the the non-woven products, which broadly fall into
the technical textiles, are priced at a premium of 20-25 percent, consumers would be willing to pay for it once they carry
the guarantee of quality standards, industry officials feel.
The domestic market for medical textiles was estimated at
Rs 1,514 crore in 2007-08 and is expected to touch Rs 2,263
crore by 2012-13, according to official estimates.
The government would launch next year a mission on
technical textiles, which also include products used in civil
aviation, agriculture and defence sectors, the official
said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, September 13, 2009, 12:04