Highlights:
- There will be a separate ministry of Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices which will be created within one year which will ease the working for the Industry with a single point contact.
- Katoch Committee Report on the API and Bulk Drugs Policy will be accepted within 100 days
- Inverted duty issues will be taken up by him personally with the Hon’ble Finance Minister based on the recommendations of PHD Chamber.
This conference was held in association with Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizers Government of India. The main objective of the Conference was to promote innovation and boost Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices manufacturing Industry through technology transfer and focus on high value production to provide world class Affordable, Acceptable and Accessible health care products. The Conference created a neutral platform wherein strategies & policy issues were discussed for the growth of the Healthcare industry.
The Conference was presided over by Mr. Ananth Kumar, Hon’ble Union Minister, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and other guests present were Mr. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Dr. V. K. Subburaj, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizers in the inaugural session. Mr. Anil Khaitan, Vice President , PHD Chamber, Mr. Nishant V. Berlia, Chairman, Health Committee, PHD Chamber and Mr. Himanshu Baid, Co-Chairman, Health Committee, PHD Chamber also addressed the ambassadors, delegates and senior industry members.
The Conference was attended by more than 190 delegates including Diplomats, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Industry members, Doctors, Pharmacists and Academicians.
While inaugurating the 4th Annual Conference : PharmaMed 2015, organized by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hon,ble Minister said , “the government will continue to control the regulated list of pharma products that currently number 603 though it might revise it to enable access, affordability and acceptability (with quality) of the pharma products to patients in far flung areas. He added that the Govt. will not loosen its control on essential and life savings pharma products in the interest of the common man”.
“Nowhere in the world, regulations and control on such essential sectors are in vogue and India cannot be an exception. I urge industry and pharma manufacturers of generic drugs to increase access, affordability and acceptability of their products with focus on quality so that patients do not suffer from shortages of such products”, said the Minister.
So far as the issue of new ministry of Pharmaceuticals and medical devices is concerned, the government would constitute it in next one year as preliminary exercises to this effect with all stakeholders including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Prime Minister himself are on, informed the Minister.
On the issue of inverted duty structure on the pharma and medical devices sector, Hon’ble Minister promised industry that he along with his Minister of State would shortly seek consultations with the Finance Minister to settle this issue so that necessary disclosures for it are incorporated in the forthcoming budget.
Minister of State of Chemicals and Fertizers, Mr. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assured industry that the government would make no intervention with pharma manufacturers, excepting urging them to make quality drugs as Indian generic drugs not only cater to domestic demands but also serve the export requirements for over 200 countries.
Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dr. V K Subburaj also said that all policy barriers that restrict the growth of pharma and medical device industry are being removed with provisions in new bulk drug policy which would be put in place in next few months in consultation with PMO.
Earlier, Mr. Anil Khaitan, Vice President, PHD Chamber, in his welcome remarks sought a separate Ministry for Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices, announcement of the much awaited API/ BULK Drug Policy and to correct the inverted duty structure for Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Industry. He also mentioned that the document titled “Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Vision 2020” submitted by PHD Chamber on which the core group of PHD had a detailed interaction with Dr. V. K. Subburaj, Secretary, Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices on 15/4/2015 also needs to see the light of the day. Mr. Khaitan demanded actions on policy front from all government bodies so that Pharma and Medical Devices manufacturing becomes an integral part of Make in India project of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Nishant V Berlia, Chairman, Health Committee, PHD Chamber talked about some concerns like Multiple Ministries and government bodies, Centre and States overlap, Complex time taking procedures that may or may not address the actual underlying objective and economic wastage which is hampering the growth of the Industry and recommended an Inter Ministry task force for Ease of Doing Business Specific for the Pharma Industry. He also suggested implementation of Medical Device Sector Task Force’s Recommendation in dialogue with Industry and to take action on awaited API Policy. He also touched upon some issues like Inverted duty structures, competitive export rebates and Tariff & Non Tariff Barriers.
Mr. Himanshu Baid, Co-Chairman, Health Committee, PHD Chamber, also underlined the need to have a separate ministry for Medical Devices as it is apparently being controlled by the Ministry of Health & Family welfare, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. He also talked about medical devices being an industry having a potential of $50 Billion industry wherein correction of inverted duty structure can help.
The conference was concluded by a formal Vote of Thanks by Mr. Vivek Seigell, Director, PHD Chamber.
