Reduce Chinese pharma imports.

Observing that India’s major import in the pharmaceutical sector are Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), from China, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has strongly recommended to the Department of Pharmaceuticals to boost indigenous manufacturing of the raw materials.

In its latest National Drug Survey report (2014-2016), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Union Health Ministry observed that around 99 per cent of the imported samples lifted were that of APIs of which 92 per cent were from China and 2 per cent each from Italy and France.

During the survey, conducted over a period of three months, 4,987 samples were collected at airports and sea ports in India and checked. The consignments came from about 108 manufacturing companies overseas. It was observed that eight companies from China accounted for 57.7 per cent of the samples of which two companies alone accounted for 35.19 per cent of samples.

Raising concern over the findings, CDSCO in a letter, recommended, “In light of these facts, it is imperative that Government takes measures to upscale existing indigenous production capacity of APIs and set up new manufacturing units to enhance production to meet the country’s need.”

APIs are required to produce essential medicines, and India is a key supplier of generic and affordable medicines for the world market. One of the main reasons for huge API imports from China is low manufacturing costs and subsidies in the country while India levies negligible import fee.

“Of the pharmaceuticals imported around 60-65 per cent are from China, which is on our radar, as we have also identified some risk in importing the materials,” said Dr G N Singh, Drug Controller General of India.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar said, “There is a need to have more researchers in this sector and hence the Government is constantly working in this direction by setting up National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research across the country.”