Well yeah, this write-up is about the most unpopular branch of engineering. Yes, the same branch, which has got no takers, and has half of its seats lying vacant in the colleges and is constantly living under the threat of untimely closure. Yes, it’s the infamous Biomedical Engineering.
At the same time, this branch could be the gateway to the billion
dollar industry. Wondering how?
For the uninitiated, Biomedical Engineering is simply a bridge between engineering and medicine; the two most coveted fields in India. However, this stream stands neglected with only a handful of colleges offering this course. It deals with manufacturing, testing, research and development of medical devices as well as healthcare, treatment, diagnosis, monitoring and therapy.
The Indian biomedical device sector is worth approximately USD 5.5 billion. Well, that’s how it is a billion dollar industry! Biomedical devices consist of ICU, ECG, EEG, EMG, MRI, etc. This sector is Asia’s fourth largest market. Now who wouldn’t want to enter this industry? Who wouldn’t want to create a career here?
Apparently, things are different in India. People want a secure future for their children. Some want their children to be engineers, while others want them to be doctors. New branches such as biomedical engineering don’t guarantee a secure future. The absence of students opting for biomedical engineering is forcing the colleges to shut this ‘billion dollar branch’.
It was introduced to encourage students to take up research and development of biomedical devices in India. Nothing promotes ‘Make in India’ like this branch does. Unfortunately, people are happy being part of the herd wanting to enter the most lucrative fields, score the highest marks, and bagging a plum job and so on. Who cares about innovation?
If you have ever visited a hospital, you would have seen huge biomedical devices such as the X-ray scan, MRI scan, CT scan, ICU, ECG, etc. Where are these manufactured? Obviously, not made in India. More than 75% of such equipment used here are imported from the European countries. Sadly, this billion dollar market in India is dominated by Europe!
Ever wondered why diagnoses like MRI & CT scans cost you a fortune? No rocket science. You’re paying for the huge amount the hospitals have invested in procuring these super-expensive European machines.
Something needs to change, isn’t it? ‘Make in India’ needs to lend a helping hand to this dying branch. The change will come. Not immediately, but definitely. Let’s hope for some leaders to emerge and help India dominate its very own billion dollar market.
This branch is going to create many billionaires in the future. But beware, this branch is not for the weak-hearted, for the placement seekers, or for the followers. It is only and only for leaders who are willing to take risks, and think out of the box, those innovators, and entrepreneurs who can dare to make in India and for India.
This article is part of PaGaLGuY’s innovative internship certification programme for engineering students. Currently, two such programmes are on – one is an Internship in Creative Writing, and the other is a Certification in Digital Media. If you are interested in partaking and bagging a certificate, besides learning the nuances of effective writing, write to us at [email protected].