DTMT NETWORK
Dr. Eswara Reddy, Joint Drugs Controller, CDSCO, has said that India should be the hub for (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) API and the schemes are to boost the indigenous manufacturing of API.

“We are heavily dependent on other countries for API / KSM and until and unless we have the complete eco-system, we cannot become the leader,” added Dr Reddy while addressing stakeholders of pharmaceutical industry at PHD’s virtual conference -Brainstorming the Strategies for Positioning India as a Hub for API- Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.  

Dr. Reddy informed about two promotional schemes including development of  3 bulk drug parks, where total Rs 3000 cr investment will be made by Government and promotion linked incentive scheme for bulk drug where around Rs 7160cr has been sanctioned, which means total investment of Rs 10,000 crore.

Dr. Reddy further said that India has an advantage of huge costal area and the main aim is to have complete backward integration. Regarding protection from Government, Dr. Reddy pointed out that Department of Pharmaceutical initiated the steps to increase the custom duty on some identified molecules and the government will take necessary action to protect the industry.

Regarding specific molecules, Dr. Reddy said, “We need to sit with the industry and work out the same and need to see all 41 molecules one by one for any errors.”

Mentioning about the CDSCO's functioning, Dr. Reddy lauded the DCGI for its tremendous work support and said that the Clinical Trial protocol approval time has now been reduced to almost 3-4 days.

He informed, "We have granted more than 200 import and manufacturing licenses for invitro diagnostic in this Covid situation. We will definitely institutionalise this mechanism what we are following during the Covid times.”

Dr. Reddy, said, “We are restructuring the whole CDSCO including its nomenclature and also working on with the old 1940 D&C act. We are also coming up with the version 2 of SUGAM portal and to give priority to innovation and research, CDSCO has come up with a public relation office also.”