Espicom's in-depth medical device market reports are ideal for executives wanting to understand the key drivers in medical markets and have access to a wealth of statistical data. Each report opens with an outlook section that provides analysis of the market, 5-year market forecasts, national data projections, market outlook and key developments such as regulation, health facilities and government policy. The report also provides extensive background information, population trends, health status, health expenditure, organisation & administration, hospital services, medical personnel, healthcare development, market access information, trade data and essential industry contacts. Included with the report are 3 free quarterly updated outlook reports, enabling you to keep up to date with market developments for a year. India has a huge population in excess of one billion people. In 2006, the population was estimated at 1.1 billion, of whom 56.1 million were aged 65 years and over. By 2016, the population is likely to have grown to almost 1.3 billion, of whom 78.2 million will be aged 65 years and over.

As the country develops, India has a growing middle class population with access to high quality healthcare in some of the best private healthcare facilities in the world. Leading business and healthcare providers are also striving to make India an international health resort, with an airport to airport concept of health tourism. In 2004, the Maharashtra state government established a Medical Tourism Council to try to attract more foreign medical patients, the main incentive being India's comparatively low costs, quoted at around one fifth of those in the West.

But, India is a country of extremes and developments at the top of the market are unlikely to filter through to the public health system. The vast majority of the Indian population is both rural and poor, although urban poverty is also a problem. Modern healthcare technology and western style pharmaceuticals are not even an issue for millions of people. On a national level, the Indian health system is ill-equipped to cope with the rising number of elderly and the changing disease patterns, with an average of just 0.7 hospital beds and 0.6 physicians per thousand population. India faces the continuing challenge of fighting infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy alongside increases in lifestyle related problems faced by the developed world, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The best opportunities for foreign manufacturers are in the private sector, particularly for high quality products that represent value for money, although competition is fierce and the high tech end of the market is dominated by multinationals with extensive service networks. At the other end of the scale, the low to mid tech end of the market will be met mainly by the domestic industry.