The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, reported significant progress under India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for pharmaceuticals in 2025. Investments worth ₹40,294 crore have been mobilised, exceeding the original target of ₹17,275 crore, supporting over 350 manufacturing units, including 28 greenfield facilities.
A total of 726 APIs, KSMs, and drug intermediates (DIs) are now produced under the scheme, including 191 manufactured for the first time in India, bolstering domestic capabilities and reducing import dependence.
Under the scheme, cumulative sales reached ₹3.08 lakh crore, including ₹1.98 lakh crore in exports, while employment has grown to 97,000 people, surpassing the expected 20,000 direct jobs. India’s share of global bulk drug exports now stands at 30%, with formulation exports contributing 26.5% in FY 2025.
Other DoP initiatives contributed to strengthening the domestic pharmaceutical ecosystem. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) expanded to 17,610 Jan Aushadhi Kendras, including 2,202 in 2025, with a product basket of 2,110 medicines and 315 medical devices. Sanitary napkin distribution through the scheme reached over 17.9 crore pads in 2025, and cumulative PMBJP sales yielded savings of ₹5,637 crore for citizens in FY 2025-26 (till November).
Efforts to reduce import dependence for bulk drugs under PLI have commissioned 35 projects for 26 APIs/KSMs, including fermentation-based products like Penicillin-G, Clavulanic acid, and Rifampicin. The scheme has generated 4,929 jobs and contributed to import substitution of ₹1,807 crore.
The DoP also advanced medical device manufacturing and infrastructure through the PLI for medical devices, the Common Facilities for Medical Devices Clusters (CFMDC) scheme, and the Strengthening of Medical Devices Industry (SMDI) scheme, collectively generating cumulative sales of ₹12,344 crore (including ₹5,869 crore in exports) and supporting capacity-building, R&D, and clinical trials.
Academic and research support has been reinforced via NIPERs and the PRIP scheme, fostering industry-academia collaboration, Centres of Excellence, patents, and research publications, with over 378 papers and 33 patents filed in FY 2025-26 so far.
The cumulative impact of these initiatives underscores India’s growing self-reliance in pharmaceuticals and MedTech, strengthening domestic manufacturing, exports, and high-value innovation while enhancing access to affordable medicines and healthcare products.
