Govt orders study to gauge hurdles in producing APIs
NEW DELHI : In order to strengthen the domestic production of Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients (APIs), the Department of Pharmaceuticals is conducting a first-of-its-kind study on the gaps and challenges in the sector. In this regard, all pharma companies and drug manufacturing associations have been asked to share the import and export data of APIs for analyzing the domestic industry, financial gaps and technological challenges to make India future-ready in the global market.
The government has also promised the private sector that this information will remain confidential. Currently, India has 85% import dependency on APIs and 80% dependency on medical devices, especially from China.
The country imports APIs worth ₹35,000 crore from China which is dominant in APIs, an essential input for drug development of even the most basic kind such as painkillers. “The study aims to map the domestic API industry to capture necessary data in different states for import and consumption, domestic and export sales including the production in the last five years.
The data will evaluate the financial needs, technology gaps and challenges faced by the industry. We will also assess various schemes for deriving policy for the future to make India a self-reliant and dominant player at the international level," said an official.
Meanwhile, India has started production of 22 APIs or bulk drugs used for manufacturing life-saving drugs along with high-end medical devices like CT scans and MRI machines, under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. In order to make the country self-reliant in APIs and drug intermediates, the Central government is implementing various schemes by attracting large investments in the sector to ensure their
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