Midhani bets big on bio-implant sales

Hyderabad: Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (Midhani), a city-based public sector undertaking, on Tuesday inked an MoU with Pune-based Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL) for marketing of its bio-implants.

Known for developing and supplying speciality materials for defence, aerospace and nuclear sectors, the PSU has developed titanium and steel-based bio-implants as by-products. These implants including hinged knee joints are used in patients for various ailments.

"We have developed, manufactured and commercialised about 135 types of bio-implants, comprising over 1,060 variants. Our core competency is in manufacturing such products. We have no expertise and network to market such products demand for which is currently being met through imports.

With this MoU, we will be able to overcome the marketing problem and increase sales of our bio-implants," Dr Dinesh Kumar Likhi, Chairman & Managing Director, Midhani, told the media here.

Dr Likhi signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of Midhani while Nirja Saraf, Managing Director, HAL, signed on behalf of the public sector pharmaceutical company.

In the bio-plants space, Midhani offers fracture care devices, intra medular nails, titanium products for spine and titanium maxilla-facial implants.

Despite having such a large number of products in its line-up, the company's sales in this segment did not cross even Rs 1 crore mark.

"But with this agreement, we are hopeful of increasing bio-implant sales to Rs 5 crore in the first year of agreement. Our target is to take this number to Rs 100 crore in five years," Dr Likhi said.

On future plans, he said the company also developed stents used in cardiac medical surgeries. "These products are currently in evaluation phase. We will launch them once we have enough evaluation data," he said.

He further said the Kazakhstan Government expressed its willingness in collaborating with Midhani to produce bio-implants. A Midhani team visited that country and discussed the issue.