Wipro GE Healthcare to invest over Rs 8,000 crore on local manufacturing, R&D in 5 years

Bengaluru: Medical technology and digital solutions provider Wipro GE Healthcare, which operates four manufacturing plants in Bengaluru, is set to invest more than Rs 8,000 crore across manufacturing output and research and development in India over the next five years, the company said on Tuesday. 

“We aspire to serve 3 billion people across the world with the investments which we are making,” Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro GE Healthcare and Wipro Enterprises, said.

As part of the investment plan, the joint venture between Wipro Enterprises and US-headquartered GE Healthcare, will manufacture PET CT (positron emission tomography and computed tomography) diagnostic scans for export to 15 countries. 

Additionally, locally produced Revolution Aspire CT, Revolution ACT and MR breast coils will be manufactured ‘in India, for the world’, the company said in a statement.

The investment will lead to creation of 4,00,000 additional labour hours, as per the company. A source in knowledge of the plans told DH that Wipro GE Healthcare is set to add to its workforce headcount as part of this investment map. The individual, however, did not disclose a target or timeframe for the exercise.

“India is a high potential, high priority market for GE HealthCare globally…Today’s announcement is aligned with our strategic vision to deliver precision innovation globally and accelerate India’s position as medtech innovation and manufacturing hub for India and for world markets,” Peter J Arduini, president and CEO, GE HealthCare, underscored.

Earlier this year in January, GE HealthCare signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru to advance medtech innovation – for India and the world. 

GE HealthCare, which formed the joint venture with Wipro Enterprises in 1990, has since expanded operations across manufacturing, design and distribution in India and neighbouring South Asian countries. Today, 40% of the company’s overall sales is out of India which falls under the top-5 markets for GE HealthCare. So far, more than 1,100 patents have been filed by the company’s India arm.

Going forward, Wipro GE Healthcare plans to double its 1,800-strong design workforce within a decade, company managing director Chaitanya Sarawate told DH earlier this year.