Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Serving a Diverse APAC Region: Dräger delivers tailored solutions across Asia-Pacific, from essential devices to advanced smart hospitals, adapting to varying healthcare maturity levels in countries like India, Australia, Japan and ASEAN nations.
- India as a Promising Market and R&D Hub: India is emerging as one of Dräger’s global R&D hubs for “upper basic” technologies, supporting markets in India and across APAC. Strong India Presence and Long-Term Support: With nine offices and nearly 150 service engineers, Dräger is active in both public and private hospitals in India, focusing not just on delivering equipment but on keeping it working.
- Clinical Talent and Training Focus: Dräger prioritizes training of biomedical engineers and doctors over traditional sales models, and recently launched a Dräger Academy in India to upskill healthcare partners and employees.
- Shifting Perceptions, Lasting Impact: India has gone from being seen as a peripheral market to a key player in Dräger’s global strategy, supporting the mission of saving, protecting, and supporting life—across all tiers of care.
EF: What are Dräger’s key priorities for the Asia-Pacific region?
SP: The Asia-Pacific region, including India, is extremely diverse, with healthcare development and maturity varying widely from country to country. Our Asia Pacific regional organization plays a critical role—it bridges our global strategy with local relevance. In the Pacific—countries like Australia and New Zealand—healthcare systems are highly developed, with strong infrastructure and services. Japan and South Korea also represent advanced healthcare environments. In contrast, many ASEAN countries face evolving healthcare landscapes with distinct needs. Large markets like China and India add further complexity, with varied healthcare maturity within their own regions.
At Dräger, our goal is to serve all these markets—regardless of how advanced their healthcare systems are. That means providing tailored solutions, from essential, reliable medical devices to fully connected smart ORs/ICUs. It is translating our global strategy into regionally relevant actions, attuned to each country’s unique healthcare context.
EF: What role does India play in Dräger´s global strategy? And what does Dräger bring to the country?
SP: India is one of the most promising markets for Dräger in the medium to long term—and for any medical technology or device company. Especially after the pandemic, the Indian government has placed greater emphasis on strengthening healthcare infrastructure, with significant investments ranging from basic care to advanced treatment. Overall, the commitment to improving healthcare at all levels in India is substantial and sustained.
What sets Dräger apart is how early we get involved in building hospital infrastructure. Take something as fundamental as medical gas systems—critical in ICUs and operating rooms—which, in India are still in the process of becoming fully regulated and are installed by non-specialists. Dräger stands out as a trusted multinational that engages at the foundational level- offering end-to-end design and implementation of comprehensive Gas Management Systems (GMS) to ensure up to 150% gas availability where it’s needed most. From this solid infrastructure, we deliver a full spectrum of solutions—from ventilators, and anesthesia machines to neonatal incubators and advanced patient monitoring systems. All of these can be integrated into a single digital platform, enabling safer, more efficient and connected care.
EF: How does Dräger tailor its operations to meet the diverse healthcare needs across India’s regions?
SP: Dräger is active in both government and private hospitals in India. We work closely with leading medical institutes, offering training, demonstrations, and showcasing our range of technologies. Understanding India’s diversity is essential, especially in terms of healthcare maturity. You can’t treat the country as a single, uniform market. In tier 1 cities, healthcare standards often parallel to those of developed nations. But in tier 2, 3, and 4 cities, the challenges are entirely different— ranging from gaps in basic infrastructure to limited access to essential equipment.
That’s why a broad and localized geographic presence is so important. The needs and expectations of healthcare professionals—doctors, nurses, biomedical engineers —vary greatly across regions. At Dräger India, we’ve built a strong presence with nine branch offices and local teams who understand and respond to these regional differences.
Equally important is our commitment to long-term support. For us, it's not just about supplying equipment, but ensuring it works reliably over time. That’s why we have over 150 service engineers across India, dedicated to maintaining and supporting our technology to ensure uninterrupted care.
EF: How does Dräger upskill local clinical and technical talent to meet its quality standards?
SP: At Dräger, we prioritize hiring candidates with strong clinical backgrounds—mostly biomedical engineers, and in some cases, even doctors. This enables more meaningful engagement with healthcare professionals. As a rule, the emphasis is on individuals who bring a deep understanding of clinical environments.
India has a rich talent pool, and to ensure ongoing development, we offer structured learning through the Dräger Academy—our global training initiative. It supports continuous learning for our employees at all levels and extends certified training programs for hospital staff, including nurses and biomedical engineers. We recently reinforced this commitment by launching a dedicated Dräger Academy branch in India. The local center is designed to support our internal teams, channel partners and healthcare providers – ensuring alignment with Dräger’s global quality standards and building a stronger ecosystem of care.
EF: Why should Dräger prioritize more investment in India over other countries?
SP: Every region competes for resources and attention, but the good news is that India stands out as a key focus area for Dräger. Over the years, we have maintained a local manufacturing footprint, primarily supporting basic infrastructure needs. What’s evolving now is a much broader and deeper commitment. India is increasingly being recognized within our global strategy—not only as a promising market but also as a center of capability development. We’re investing in building local expertise and expanding operational scope to better serve the needs of emerging markets across Asia-Pacific and beyond.
We already have two major R&D projects underway. This shift reflects a long-term view: aligning with India’s growing healthcare momentum while contributing meaningfully through localized innovation, manufacturing, and service. It marks a significant step in strengthening India’s role within our global ecosystem—supporting both regional relevance and sustainable growth.
EF: What new title best reflects India’s future role in global healthcare beyond “Pharmacy of the World”?
SP: I believe India is poised to become an Innovation Hub—not just a manufacturing base. While India’s manufacturing ecosystem is still maturing compared to more established regions or parts of Europe, its true strength lies in its large pool of well-educated, young, and talented people. That gives India a real edge in driving innovation.
While our global R&D continues to be anchored in high-end, premium technologies in Germany, India is increasingly contributing to innovation in the essential mid-tier segment—bringing scalable, impactful healthcare solutions to a broader global audience.
EF: As you approach your fourth anniversary with the company, what achievements are you most proud of?
SP: Reflecting on my four years here the biggest achievement I would celebrate with the team is the shift in perception around the Indian subsidiary. When I first joined, Dräger India wasn’t viewed as a particularly dynamic or strategic part of the company. There was noticeable hesitation—around the idea of bringing R&D or expanding manufacturing here. That perception has changed significantly over the last two to three years. With growing support from the Indian government, we have made meaningful progress in this area. What gives me the greatest sense of pride is how we have helped reposition India—not only to contribute more meaningfully to our customers but also to evolve from a peripheral presence into a credible, high-potential market with a clearly defined role in Dräger’s global future.
EF: What final message would you like to share with the healthcare sector from Dräger’s perspective?
SP: Dräger’s mission is “Technology for Life.” Everything we do is centered on saving, protecting, and supporting life. That means delivering high-quality, reliable technology that empowers healthcare professionals to provide better care and improve outcomes—not just in major cities, but in remote locations and beyond. Expanding access to quality care across geographies—within India and throughout APAC—should remain a core priority. That’s how we create real, lasting impact.
