BIG NEWS Separate Ministry for Pharma Sector in One Year: Ananth Kumar

BIG NEWS

Separate Ministry for Pharma in One Year: Ananth Kumar

New Delhi: Union Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday said there would be a separate ministry for pharma and medical devices sector in the next one year, and assured the government would soon implement the Katoch panel recommendations to cut bulk drugs import from China.

"I want to see that pharmaceutical and medical devices become a separate ministry and we are already in touch with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and we are pursuing that it becomes a separate ministry.. I assure you in next one year you will emerge as a separate entity as pharma and medical devices ministry," Mr Kumar said at an event organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce.

    

He added the government recognises the pharma sector as a "sunshine industry" having a tremendous potential for growth.

Mr Kumar said in order to benefit the domestic pharma industry, the government plans to implement the recommendations by the Katoch Committee in the next 100 days.

"In the next 100 days, we are going to implement the Katoch committee report for the benefit of the pharma industry. We have already accepted it, it is in circulation. We are having discussions with the PMO also, and to implement some of the recommendations even if we have to go to the Cabinet, we will go," the minister said.

The government had set set up a committee headed by V M Katoch, Secretary, Health Research, to suggest ways to reduce the dependence on bulk drug imports from China. India currently meets about 80 per cent of its demand of bulk drugs or API, used as raw materials by the pharmaceutical

industry, from Chinese imports.

On the inverted duty structure hampering the pharma and medical devices industries, Mr Kumar said the government has been following up the issue for the last one-and-a-half years.