However, commitment to quality is the prerequisite to survive in the global market, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce director KC Damodaran said, adding that price competency may not be advantageous at all time.

Specially for health-care products quality is more important than price competency, Transasia Bio-Medicals managing director Suresh Vazirani. The Mumbai-based company exhibited its blood-testing equipment. The company plans to increase exports to 40 per cent from the present 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

Although the quality of Indian products is getting better, further improvement is necessary. Specially for products like disposable items for hospitals, domestic companies are competing withcountries like China, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia who also hold the edge in price competency like India, said Damodaran.

Besides, a well-established marketing and after sales network is also important for enhancing international presence, said Larsen & Toubros' JV Vaidya. The diversified company is exploring new markets to promote its range of patient monitoring systems.

The company is focusing on direct exports of medical equipment after the absorption of international technology which it acquired from the Kontron Instruments of UK and Erbe of Germany. So far the company exported the products to European countries via its international technology partners. It also exports its products to Iran, Mauritius, Syria, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and south Asian countries including Bangaladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka. To boost the exports of medical products it is preparing a seven-year strategy which includes significant investment in the medical equipment division, said Vaidya.

L&T is the only manufacturer ofultrasound transducers and a wide range of multiparameter monitors in India.

These international forums provide the opportunity to meet buyers from around the globe, said Vazirani. The Rs 40-crore Transasia has a 60 per cent share of the country's blood-testing equipment market and competes with international brands like Hitachi of Japan.

Among the 22 Indian companies which participated in the exhibition six were supported by the Netherlands-based Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI).

CBI not only provides financial assistance to companies for marketing their products in European countries but also helps them in acquiring the international standards.

"The products have to match the European Union standards thus we offer information update and consultancy on the quality norms and also provide training, CBI project manager Peter J Van Gilst said.

The organisation is funded by the Netherlands International Affairs department which provides $9million annually.

CBI helpspromotion of non-conventional products, said Gilst, adding that conventional products have their own market channels. It is the first time the CBI participated in the Medica in which it brought 15 companies from various developing countries, he said.

Every year the organisation invites participation from all developing countries for various programmes. Early next year it is selecting companies for trade fairs on auto and paper industries in Europe, he added.

The Indian companies participating in the fair with the support of CBI include Fami Care, Kanam Latex Industries, Midland Latex Products, Dr Sabharwal Labs and the South India Surgical.

The Rs 10-crore Sabharwal Labs which displayed surgical equipment exports 50 per cent of its products. "If small companies match the international standards there is a good opportunity in the overseas market," company managing director AR Sabharwal said.

This is because in the domestic market the trend is to go for the products manufactured by the multinationals,he added.

Kanam Latex Industries, the Kerala-based Rs 15-crore company, also sponsored by CBI is manufacturer of various types of surgical gloves expected to increase the exports to 60 per cent from the present 40 per cent.