Centre Sanctions 1,500 New CDSCO Posts to Strengthen Medical Device Regulation
New Delhi: In a significant step towards reinforcing India's medical technology regulatory framework, the Central Government has approved the creation of 1,500 additional posts in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), with a substantial share of these positions earmarked for strengthening the medical device regulatory system.
The announcement was made by Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), during the 9th edition of India Medical Device 2026, where he stated that the expanded workforce would help establish a robust internal scientific cadre within CDSCO. According to him, the newly sanctioned posts will be responsible for evaluating regulatory applications, providing technical guidance, supporting innovators, and assisting applicants throughout the approval process, thereby significantly enhancing the organisation’s scientific and technical capabilities.
He further explained that many of the new recruits would come from medical device, engineering, software development, and artificial intelligence backgrounds, enabling CDSCO to develop specialised expertise that aligns with India’s ambition of becoming a global hub for affordable medical technologies.
Dr. Raghuvanshi also revealed that CDSCO has already established a dedicated medical devices vertical staffed by professionals with specialised qualifications and experience in the medical device sector, and that its leadership has been separated from other regulatory functions to ensure focused oversight. He noted that around 30–35 positions under the medical devices vertical are already being filled through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), while regulators specialising in ophthalmic medical devices are expected to join the organisation in the coming months.
Another major reform announced was the revision of the eligibility criteria for the post of Drugs Controller General of India, under which qualifications and experience related to medical device regulation have now been included, allowing engineering professionals with relevant medical device industry experience to become eligible for consideration for the country’s top drug regulatory position.
Highlighting broader reforms in the medical device regulatory landscape, the DCGI stated that India is continuing efforts to make the regulatory environment more supportive of innovation by granting waivers for clinical investigations for innovative medical devices wherever appropriate. In a major expansion of this policy, the European Union (EU) has been added to India’s list of trusted regulatory jurisdictions, joining the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan, which means that medical devices already approved in these jurisdictions may now be eligible for additional regulatory waivers in India. He also referred to the recent release of the Medical Device Software (MDSW) guidelines, which establish a structured regulatory framework for the development, evaluation, and approval of software-based medical devices in the country, reports Medical Buyer.
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