Indian government sets up pharma 'made in India' committee

Published: 24-Mar-2015

To boost development of pharma sector that sources APIs in India


The Indian government has created a special committee to boost the development of an Indian pharma sector that makes original ‘made in India’ medicines, domestically sourcing active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The initiative is being developed by the central government’s Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, which released a communiqué saying it wanted to 'realise the dream of ‘made in India’ in the pharmaceutical sector'. The committee, under the chairmanship of the secretary (chief official) of the department of health research, will identify active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of importance to the Indian industry. It will then work out 'a package of interventions/concession required to build domestic production capabilities and examine the cost implications'. This will include a ‘cluster development programme for pharma sector’ (CDP-PS). Its goal is to 'catalyse and encourage quality, productivity and innovation in the pharmaceutical sector and…enable the Indian pharmaceutical industry especially SMEs to play a leading role in a competitive global market'.

Speaking to the Indian parliament’s lower house, Lok Sabha, the Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahi argued that the policy would be aided by the government’s National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy – 2012.

This would ensure the 'availability of essential medicines at reasonable prices even while providing sufficient opportunity for innovation and competition to support the growth of industry, employment and shared economic well-being,' he said.

The committee would build on work undertaken by a special working group on drugs and pharmaceuticals under the now defunct Planning Commission – replaced by the National Institution for Transforming India on 1 January.

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