The Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) has further strengthened India’s medical textiles ecosystem with the inauguration of a dedicated Medical Textiles Testing Laboratory by Union Minister for Textiles, Giriraj Singh, during his visit to the AMTZ campus in Visakhapatnam. The inauguration marks an important step in supporting the growth of India’s healthcare and technical textiles sectors by providing advanced testing, validation and quality assurance capabilities for a broad range of medical textile products. The facility is expected to play a critical role in helping manufacturers meet domestic and international quality standards while accelerating innovation and indigenous production.
The Minister was welcomed by Dr Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director and Founder CEO of AMTZ, who provided an overview of the zone’s ongoing efforts to promote self-reliance in medical technology manufacturing and healthcare innovation. During the visit, officials showcased the capabilities of the newly inaugurated laboratory, which has been established to evaluate products such as surgical gowns, masks, personal protective equipment (PPE), surgical drapes and wound-care materials. The facility is equipped to conduct comprehensive assessments related to barrier performance, microbial resistance, safety standards and product reliability, ensuring that healthcare products meet stringent quality requirements before entering the market.
The laboratory is expected to support manufacturers across India by providing access to specialized testing infrastructure, reducing dependence on overseas testing facilities and helping accelerate product development timelines. The Minister also visited several advanced manufacturing facilities within the AMTZ ecosystem. At the IMEDS facility, he was briefed on the production of surgical skin staplers, removers and sterile wound-closure products designed to improve surgical outcomes and enhance wound management solutions.
Another key highlight of the visit was the Nanoshell facility, where ongoing initiatives related to advanced materials manufacturing were presented. Officials showcased plans for the production of high-purity graphene, a next-generation material with applications across healthcare, textiles, electronics, energy storage and advanced composite manufacturing. Demonstrations also included ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene production, a high-performance polymer widely used in orthopedic implants and other medical applications due to its strength, durability and biocompatibility.
Addressing the gathering, Giriraj Singh praised AMTZ for its contribution to India’s self-reliance initiatives and highlighted its role in strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities. He noted that the ecosystem represents a significant achievement in reducing dependence on imported medical technologies while fostering innovation and advanced manufacturing within the country.
The Minister also emphasized the importance of integrated industrial ecosystems that combine research, manufacturing and innovation under a single platform, describing AMTZ as a model that aligns closely with the national vision of building a developed and self-sufficient India by 2047. Dr Jitendra Sharma stated that the Minister’s visit reinforces the growing recognition of India’s capabilities in medical technology and technical textiles. He highlighted AMTZ’s ongoing commitment to enabling innovation, supporting indigenous manufacturing and building globally competitive healthcare technology infrastructure.
As India continues to expand its healthcare manufacturing capabilities, the Medical Textiles Testing Laboratory is expected to play a vital role in ensuring quality, enhancing product competitiveness and supporting the growth of a robust domestic medical textiles industry.
