Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers

20-December-2012 18:15 IST

No Inter Ministers Committee was formed as per the recommendations of the 45^th Report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health. However, a High Powered Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee formed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Pharmaceuticals) to look into the matters of implementation of Government commitment to provide quality medicines at affordable prices has finalized its recommendations.The various medicines have been referred to the concerned Ministries/ Departments/ Organisations for taking necessary action.

Ministry of Commerce & Industries has clarified that Indian pharmaceutical Industry has been importing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Intermediates from various countries, including China to meet the increasing demand. Details of imports of APIs and Intermediates by Indian pharmaceutical industry for the last 3 years are given below:

Values in US $mn

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is supporting SME Units in Pharmaceutical Sector through various schemes – Credit Link Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) to provide incentive to Micro and Small Enterprises for technology up-gradation, Credit Guarantee Scheme, ISO-9000/ISO-14001/HACCP reimbursement scheme, Micro and Small Enterprises – Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises and National Manufacturing Competitive Programme (NMCP) to enhance their productivity and Competitiveness. In regard of Drug and Pharmaceuticals 294 units have availed Rs. 19.76 Crore subsidy since inception of the scheme.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Shri Srikant Kumar Jena in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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NSK/DB

Import reliance on active pharmaceutical ingredients prompts coordination and SME support to bolster domestic API capacity and quality. Reliance on imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) is presented as a key industry issue, with significant imports and a substantial share from a single foreign market; a High Powered Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee reviews implementation of commitments to ensure quality medicines. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises details support measures for pharmaceutical SMEs-including technology upgradation subsidies, credit guarantee mechanisms, certification reimbursement, cluster development, public procurement preference and competitiveness programmes-and records uptake and subsidy disbursement under those schemes.