PLI scheme helps cut pharma raw material imports by ₹1,362 cr: Govt to Rajya Sabha

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said that as of March 2025, investments under the scheme had already exceeded the initial commitment.

“Against a committed investment of ₹3,938.5 crore over six years, an investment of ₹4,570 crore has already been made,” she stated.

Patel added that the scheme has so far led to cumulative sales of ₹1,817 crore, including exports worth ₹455 crore.

This has helped establish domestic manufacturing capacity for 25 key starting materials (KSMs), drug intermediates (DIs), and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), thereby significantly reducing import dependency.

The PLI scheme for bulk drugs has a total budgetary outlay of ₹6,940 crore. It is designed to minimise the risk of supply disruptions for critical APIs by reducing reliance on a single source.

Before the scheme’s rollout, most of the products now covered under it were primarily imported, the minister said.

She also mentioned that the government is implementing a broader PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals with an outlay of ₹15,000 crore.

In addition, under the Scheme for Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks, which has a total allocation of ₹3,000 crore, three parks have been approved in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh.

These facilities are currently at different stages of development, Patel said.