No proposal to set up a pharma ministry: Govt

Government today said there is no proposal to set up a separate ministry for pharmaceuticals, and it is yet to allocate budget for developing common facilitation centre for the proposed medical devices parks.
"The creation of separate ministry for pharmaceuticals is a matter to be considered keeping in view the mandate of all the central government ministries/departments dealing with the sector. At present there is no such proposal before the government," Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh L Mandaviya said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
However, Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar had said last year that a separate ministry for pharma and medical devices sector would come into force within a year.

In a separate written reply, Mandaviya said: "No budget allocation" has yet been made for development of common facilitation centre for medical devices.
He added: "A sub-scheme for development of common facilitation centre for medical devices under the Umbrella scheme of cluster development programme for pharma sector has been proposed. But, no budget allocation has yet been made."
Earlier this year, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) had said that it has come up with a scheme to finance common facility centres like component and radiation testing in proposed medical device parks with an outlay of Rs 300 crore as it looks to curb import dependence.

Development of common facilitation centre for medical devices (DCFC-MD) scheme proposes to give Rs 25 crore or 70 per cent of cost of equipment and machinery and fixed assets as grant-in-aid for setting up of common facility centres like moduling centres.

The scheme also aims to offer similar benefits to medical devices park to be proposed by various state governments.
To reduce import dependence, the government has decided to establish six bulk drug and medical devices parks, which will entail a combined investment of Rs 60,000 crore.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry at the beginning of 11th Plan (2012) stood at around Rs 71,000 crore. It has now risen to around Rs 2,00,000 crore, as per Pharmtrack and Pharmexcil, up to 2015-16, the government said.