India Nuclear Imaging Market Trends and Insights
Growing Prevalence of Cancer and Cardiac Diseases
India logged 1.4 million new cancer cases in 2024, and the National Cancer Registry projects a 12.8% jump by 2025. Late-stage diagnosis remains common, with only 29% of tumors detected early, raising demand for precise PET and SPECT procedures that can delineate disease spread. Nuclear cardiology volumes are climbing as coronary artery disease afflicts younger cohorts; two-thirds of Indians aged 25-45 are now pre-hypertensive, prompting clinicians to choose non-invasive myocardial perfusion imaging to triage intervention. Rising lifestyle-related morbidity therefore directly boosts utilization across all nuclear imaging modalities, reinforcing the structural growth of the India nuclear imaging market.Adoption of Hybrid PET-CT and SPECT-CT in Tertiary Hospitals
PET-CT installations have surpassed 50 units nationwide while SPECT-CT growth trails because of higher per-scan costs. However, cost-effectiveness studies show a PET-CT scan in India is priced at INR 4,600-31,000 (USD 55-372), far below global averages, shortening payback periods for large centers. CZT detectors and AI-assisted reconstruction improve resolution while lowering tracer dose, making hybrid imaging more attractive in radiation-safety-conscious facilities. As tertiary hospitals upgrade equipment, referral patterns shift toward comprehensive nuclear imaging suites, which further enlarges the India nuclear imaging market.High Equipment Acquisition and Maintenance Cost
Setting up a gamma-knife or PET-CT suite can cost INR 400 million (USD 4.88 million) when real estate, shielding, and licensing expenses are included. Smaller hospitals often lack patient throughput to justify such outlays, so metropolitan tertiary centers remain the primary installation sites, limiting geographic penetration of the India nuclear imaging market. Post-warranty service contracts priced at 8-10% of capital value per year strain operating budgets, particularly since spare parts are imported and dollar-denominated. Leasing programs and public-private partnerships are emerging, yet they remain nascent and do not fully erase the high-capex hurdle.Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:
- Ayushman Bharat Imaging-Infrastructure Roll-out
- Expansion of Domestic Radioisotope Production at BARC
- Scarcity of Skilled Nuclear-Medicine Technologists
Segment Analysis
Radioisotopes generated 59.78% of the India nuclear imaging market share in 2025, and the subsegment is forecast to post a 9.62% CAGR through 2031. Technetium-99m remains the workhorse for SPECT, accounting for roughly 80% of single-photon studies, yet its reactor-based production chain presents well-documented supply risk. PET radioisotopes such as Fluorine-18 are growing more swiftly, aided by new cyclotrons in Chennai and Hyderabad that reduce tracer decay losses during transport. On the therapeutic front, Lutetium-177 labeled compounds for neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer secured Drug Controller General of India approvals in 2024, spurring wider adoption. Domestic Lu-177 output at BARC meets 65% of national demand, trimming procedure costs by nearly 20% versus imported doses.The equipment segment adds incremental value through hardware innovation, especially solid-state detector arrays that boost sensitivity in low-dose scans. Localization initiatives by GE HealthCare and Siemens Healthineers promise to shave 10-12% off unit prices by 2027, but maintenance costs remain elevated because high-precision crystals and vacuum components still come from overseas. Even so, rising equipment affordability broadens the customer base, supporting a virtuous cycle of radioisotope demand that further scales the India nuclear imaging market size.
Complete Report Scope:
- By Product
- Equipment
- Radioisotopes
- SPECT Radioisotopes
- Technetium-99m (Tc-99m)
- Thallium-201 (Tl-201)
- Gallium-67 (Ga-67)
- Iodine-123 (I-123)
- Other SPECT Isotopes
- PET Radioisotopes
- Fluorine-18 (F-18)
- Rubidium-82 (Rb-82)
- Other PET Isotopes
- SPECT Radioisotopes
- By Application
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Thyroid
- Oncology
- Other Applications
- By End User
- Hospitals
- Diagnostic Imaging Centres
- Academic & Research Institutes
List of Companies Covered in this Report:
- Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. (Novartis)
- Alliance Medical (Life Healthcare Group)
- Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology (BRIT)
- Bracco Imaging S.p.A.
- Canon
- Cardinal Health
- Curium Pharma
- GE Healthcare
- Koninklijke Philips
- Positron
- Shenzen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Siemens Healthineers
Additional Benefits:
- The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
- 3 months of analyst support
Table of Contents
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. (Novartis)
- Alliance Medical (Life Healthcare Group)
- Board of Radiation & Isotope Technology (BRIT)
- Bracco Imaging S.p.A.
- Canon Medical Systems Corporation
- Cardinal Health Inc.
- Curium Pharma
- GE HealthCare
- Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Positron Corporation
- Shenzen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Siemens Healthineers

