GE launches new low cost infant warmers

GE Healthcare launched two products for newborns on Friday (December 13) focused mainly on India and indeed billed as "designed in India, for India, that can also benefit the world". Unveiling them in Hyderabad, Ashutosh Banerjee, Director, South Asia, Wipro GE Healthcare said both were conceived and designed at the GE John F. Welsh Technology Services, Bangalore.

The products are the new Lullaby Warmer Prime, an easy-to-use infant warmer and the Lullaby Resus, a resuscitation device. Both will cost 20 to 40 per cent lower that existing offerings from GE. The infant warmer, for instance, would cost around Rs 80,000 while existing ones are priced at Rs 1.35 lakh.

Banerjee said around 12,000 to 14,000 baby warmers are sold annually in India. There are close to 40 players making baby warmers in the country. But he maintained sales could be much higher - of 27 million babies born in the country every year, 35 per cent are premature, and would need warmers at birth.  He would not reveal GE's share in this market in India except to say the company enjoyed a leadership position. With the new products, it hopes to expand this market and increase its market share by 10 per cent. The products made in India are also already exported to markets in Africa and Latin America. "Our existing infant warmers go to 72 countries and there is no reason why these new products cannot get into these countries as well," said Banerjee. The company has the capacity to make 5,000 warmers a year.