If you have been treated in a hospital, a dental clinic or a vet's surgery, there is a fair chance that one of the steel instruments used on you was made in Sialkot. The city is the centre of Pakistan's surgical instrument industry. Pakistan's trade authority says more than 2,500 companies make instruments there.
It started with repairs
The industry's origin story is widely told. In the late 19th century, the American Mission Hospital in Sialkot needed its imported instruments repaired, and local blacksmiths did the work. Dawn's account of the 1895 District Gazetteer says that early demand for repairs, and later for making instruments, is believed to have laid the foundation of the cluster that exists today. Exact dates differ between sources, so treat the founding year as approximate.
The scale today
- Surgical instrument exports were about $449 million in 2024, according to official figures reported by APP.
- Pakistan's share of world trade in surgical instruments has stayed at about 0.7%, according to the Pakistan Business Council.
- The global market is estimated at around $30 billion, according to the industry association quoted by Business Recorder.
That gap between a large cluster and a small global share is the industry's main story. Studies describe Sialkot as strongest at the lower-technology end of the market, and recent reporting by Arab News describes a slowdown as tax changes and rising costs squeeze manufacturers.
What buyers should know
Sialkot makers range from small workshops to large, certified exporters supplying international brands. For medical use, check the quality and regulatory certifications your market requires, and inspect before large orders. Our buyer's guide to Sialkot covers the process.
Sources
- TDAP: surgical instruments brochure
- Dawn: Sialkot's surgical instruments industry history
- APP: Sialkot, Pakistan's export powerhouse
- Pakistan Business Council: Enhancing the competitiveness of Pakistan's surgical instruments industry
- Business Recorder: surgical instruments sector
- Arab News: Pakistan's surgical exports slide