Mansukh Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam.
Over the past eighteen months, India has commenced the production of 38 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that were previously reliant on imports, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.
Speaking at the inaugural Healthcare Summit hosted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Mandaviya said this stride towards self-sufficiency was made possible through the implementation of the production-linked incentive (PLI) initiative within the pharmaceutical sector.
Mandaviya said that the impetus for a self-reliant strategy came in the aftermath of the 2017 border conflict with China in Doklam. This in turn prompted India to reassess its dependence on a single source for 95% of APIs used in the formulation industry, he added.
“In our efforts through the PLI scheme, we tried to eliminate the need for importing 54 APIs from foreign sources and instead promote domestic production for our formulation industry. Today, I’m pleased to announce that within just a year and a half, India has successfully initiated the manufacturing of 38 APIs, illustrating a prime instance of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Union health minister said.
The government’s commitment to fostering self-reliance is evident in its allocation of a substantial ₹15,000 crore budget for the pharmaceutical sector under the PLI scheme, according to Mandaviya.
Mandaviya further underscored the Centre’s core objective of enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability in rural areas.
An essential stride in this direction has been the significant expansion of medical education, with the number of MBBS seats surging from 52,000 to 1,07,000 over the past nine years, he said. Additionally, the government has approved the establishment of 54 new medical colleges, reflecting a dedicated effort to address the shortage of medical professionals, added Mandaviya.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic instigated a comprehensive reevaluation of healthcare strategies, inspiring a fresh approach to planning, redevelopment, and innovation in the sector, said the Union health minister.
He emphasized that India is brimming with intellectual and human resources, and the key lies in recognising the aspirations of its youth and creating avenues for their fulfilment.
The Healthcare Summit, organised by the Centre of Management of Health Services (CMHS) and IIMA Healthcare Alumni Special Interest Group (SIG), showcased two tracks dedicated to pivotal aspects of healthcare innovation.
The summit featured two tracks, each focused on a crucial aspect of healthcare innovation, with panel discussions and competition for healthcare start-ups.
source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)