Surat Economy

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Stent manufacturing

2015

The Times of India, Jun 15 2015

Melvyn ReggieThomas

Diamond hub Surat is now a major player in the cardiac stent market. The city , famed for its Rs 90,000crore diamond industry , has emerged as the biggest manufacturer of cardiac stents in India. Nine of the 11 Indian companies manufacturing stents -tiny tubes that make blood flow through choked arteries -are based in Surat and neighbouring Vapi. There is a reason for it: the laser technology that revolutionized diamond cutting has been the lifeblood of the stent industry .

South Gujarat's companies have captured 30% market share in the Indian coronary stent mar ket, valued at over $400 million, roughly Rs 2,500 crore. Overall, Indian compa nies enjoy 40% share as foreign players are fast ceding ground due to pricing -domestic stents cost just half.

“We pioneered the use of laser in diamond cutting in 1992,“ said Ganesh Sabat, the chief executive officer of Sa hajanand Medical Technologies (SMT). The parent company , which still makes diamond cutting equipment, set up the arm for making stents in the year 2000. Its success, in a market which was entirely dependent on imports, brought in other players like Meril Life Sciences and Heart Beat Interventions who have made it big.

Cardiac stents are made of stainless steel or an alloy with co steel or an alloy with co balt and chromium. The process requires the sa me equipment and skill sets as diamonds. In fact, stent making requires mu-ch lesser intensity of laser fire than diamonds.

It requires a laser to drill a hole with a diameter of 2.25 to 4.5 mm and length of 8 to 48 mm. of 8 to 48 mm.

Ahmedabad-based cardiologist, Dr Sameer Dani, who has been using Surat-made stents for a decade, said: “Over the years, the quality of local stents has improved vastly .“

Dr Tejas Patel, a Padmashri awardee, said he only uses stents that are approved for use in the US and Europe.“But if low-cost stents made locally can assure long-term efficacy and quality , there is a huge market here,“ he said.