Taking steps to cut pharma ingredients’ import: Centre

Blurb: Over 90 per cent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients’ (API) are imported mainly from China where they are four times cheaper than those produced in India

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Quote: The government is fully aware of the fact that inbound shipments (of active pharmaceutical ingredients) are coming from a particular country and the resulting national security concerns. We are taking it seriously.

Nirmala Sithraman, Commerce Minister

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 22

The government today said it was working to reduce India’s heavy dependence on active pharmaceutical ingredients’ (API) imports, mostly from China, and was aware of the associated security concerns.

Responding to members’ concerns in the Rajya Sabha over “92 per cent of the APIs being imported, mainly from China, and the associated national security concerns”, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sithraman said the government was working to reduce dependence on large-scale import of APIs — a matter also related to the national security.

Raising the issue, BJP member Prabhat Jha drew the attention of the House towards imports of raw material by the pharmaceutical industry. Jha said 92 per cent of the APIs were imported, mainly from China, where they were four times cheaper than those produced in India. Notably, API is the part of a drug that is biologically active.

Sitharaman said the government was fully aware that inbound shipments were “coming from a particular country” and the resulting "national security concerns". “Let me place it on the record that the Prime Minister himself has sat with many of us and had discussions. There is some work going on it. I may not be able to go into the details at the moment. Let me assure the House, the government is taking it very seriously,” she said.

Terming it a “serious matter”, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma also suggested an inter-ministerial committee to look into it. Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien also expressed surprise over how such large-scale API imports were taking place. "How come 90 per cent of raw material is imported from China....you can't have it," he said.