Katoch Committee Report on the Bulk drugs will be implemented soon: Ananth Kumar

Bengaluru, December 11,2015:The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Ananth Kumar has said that the Katoch Committee Report on the Bulk drugs will be implemented soon. Speaking at the Annual Conference of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices in New Delhi today, he said that the Ministry has already accepted it and other Departments are being consulted on the Report.

The Minister said that the Pharmaceutical Sector in the country is a sunrise industry, with large potential and India can be a world leader in it. For this, enabling infrastructure, regulation and Tariff structure are required. He said that the Government is working to set up Pharma Parks, Bulk Drugs Parks and Medical Devices Parks. These will help in getting affordable and unencumbered large parcels of land and common facilities for the industry, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs by 30 percent which will make Indian pharma industry competitive in the world.

The Minister, while responding to the inverted duty structure issue, stated that he will lead a delegation along with MoS (C&F) and the Pharma industry to present a memorandum to the Union Finance Minister before the budget session.

Shri Ananth Kumar said that he is also pushing for the idea for a separate Ministry of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, so as to give a boost to the sector. The Minister talked about the promotion, encouragement, enabling atmosphere and regulation in a good measure so that quality affordable drugs are available to the common masses of the country.

While concluding his address, the Minister (C&F) reaffirmed that there will be regulations and the Government will intervene to make medicines available at affordable rates to all sections of the society in the country.

The Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said that the government is working to facilitate the growth of pharma sector. He said that there is need to do good and effective work in the field of research and development in the sector.

Shri Ahir said that checking the prices of medicines is essential to make them affordable for the common masses.

The Secretary, Pharmaceuticals, Shri V.K.Subburaj said that India has been exporting medicines to over 200 countries, but the growth has mainly been in the generic segment. He said that the sector offers big opportunities for growth, and the central Government is working in the direction, in consultation with all the stakeholders, including the state governments.