Lok Sabha Question No. 813 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: Dependency on Import of High Cost Medicines
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Shri Praveen Patel, Shri Haribhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 813 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 th  July 2024

## Dependency on Import of High Cost Medicines

## 813 Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde:

Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske:

Shri Praveen Patel:

Shri Haribhai Patel:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  into  cognizance  that  India  has  high  dependency  on import of high cost medicines;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address the issue;
- (c) whether the Government has any scheme to provide incentives to the domestic companies to produce high cost pharmaceutical products in the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the list of domestic companies which have availed these incentives;
- (e)  whether  the  Government  has  seen  any  improvement  in  domestic  production  of  such medicines through the scheme; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS (MS. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) to (f): India holds the esteemed title of being the pharmacy of the world. It is the thirdlargest  manufacturer  of  pharmaceuticals  by  volume.  India  specialises  in  generics  based formulations which are exported to more than 200 countries.

The export value in drug formulations and biologicals soared from $11.22 billion in 2014-15 to $21.71 billion in 2023-24. The import of drug formulations and biologicals during the same period increased more slowly to $2.50 billion in 2023-24, up from $1.56 billion in 2014-15. India is, therefore, trade surplus in the pharmaceuticals sector.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals is implementing the Production Linked Incentive (PLI)  Scheme  for  Pharmaceuticals  with  the  objective  to  enhance  India's  manufacturing capabilities by increasing investment and production in the sector and contributing to product diversification  to  high  value  goods  in  the  pharmaceutical  sector.  The  scheme  has  financial outlay of Rs. 15,000 crore and tenure up to FY 2027-28. The scheme provides for financial incentive to 55 selected applicants for manufacturing identified products under three categories for  a  period  of  six  years.  The  drugs  under  product  categories  1  and  3  such  as  biopharmaceuticals, complex generics, gene therapy drugs, Orphan Drugs, auto-immune drugs, anti-cancer  drugs  etc.  are  being  manufactured  under  the  scheme.  The  drugs  under  product category 2 include Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients or their intermediates. Investment worth Rs 29,268 cr have been made by the scheme participants under the scheme. The cumulative sales made under the scheme is Rs 1,61,209 cr, (which includes exports worth Rs 98,837 cr.). Incentive worth Rs. 2,201 cr have been released to the scheme participants. The list of domestic companies which have availed the incentives is enclosed at Annexure-I.

Further, the Scheme for Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-Med Tech (PRIP) with an outlay of Rs. 5,000 cr. for a period of 5 years i.e., FY 2023-24 to 2027-28 has been notified. The objective of the scheme is to transform Indian pharmaceutical sector from cost  based  to  innovation-based  growth  by  strengthening  the  research  infrastructure  in  the country.

## List of domestic applicants who have availed the incentive based on approved products under Category 1 and 3 under PLI scheme for Pharmaceuticals:

|   S. No. | Name of the Applicant                             |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Aurobindo Pharma Limited                          |
|        2 | Cipla Limited                                     |
|        3 | Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited                  |
|        4 | Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited                  |
|        5 | Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited                     |
|        6 | Lupin Limited                                     |
|        7 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited             |
|        8 | Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited                   |
|        9 | Zydus Lifesciences Limited                        |
|       10 | Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited                   |
|       11 | Biocon Limited                                    |
|       12 | Biological E Limited                              |
|       13 | Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited                    |
|       14 | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited                  |
|       15 | MSN Laboratories Private Limited                  |
|       16 | Natco Pharma Limited                              |
|       17 | Strides Pharma Science Limited                    |
|       18 | Aarti Pharmalabs Limited                          |
|       19 | Aragen Life Sciences Limited                      |
|       20 | BDR Pharmaceuticals International Private Limited |
|       21 | Concord Biotech Limited                           |
|       22 | Malladi Drugs &Pharmaceuticals Limited            |
|       23 | Nosch Labs Private Limited                        |
|       24 | Panacea Biotec Limited                            |
|       25 | Sai Life Sciences Limited                         |
|       26 | Sri Krishna Pharmaceuticals Limited               |
|       27 | Steril-Gene Life Sciences Private Limited         |
|       28 | Symbiotec Pharmalab Private Limited               |
|       29 | Umedica Laboratories Private Limited              |
|       30 | Venus Remedies Limited                            |
|       31 | Symed Labs Limited                                |
|       32 | Abhilash Life Sciences LLP                        |
|       33 | Aurore Life Sciences Private Limited              |
|       34 | Bal Pharma Limited                                |
|       35 | Biophore India Pharmaceuticals Private Limited    |
|       36 | Milan Laboratories India Private Limited          |
|       37 | Neogen Chemicals Limited                          |
|       38 | Optimus Drugs Private Limited                     |
|       39 | Psychotropics India Limited                       |
|       40 | Vandana Life Sciences Private Limited             |