The government has approved 48 projects under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme aimed at strengthening domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs), Drug Intermediates (DIs), and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Anupriya Patel, informed the Rajya Sabha in a written response on Tuesday.
The objective of the scheme is to reduce India’s dependence on single-source imports for critical APIs and ensure an uninterrupted supply of essential raw materials for life-saving medicines, especially where no viable alternatives are currently available.
The minister highlighted that many of the approved and notified products were previously imported before production began under the PLI scheme. As of December 2024, the scheme has attracted investments worth ₹4,254 crore—exceeding the original commitment of ₹3,938.5 crore over six years. This has resulted in cumulative sales of ₹1,556 crore, including ₹412 crore in exports, thereby substituting imports worth ₹1,144 crore. The scheme has also helped establish domestic manufacturing capacity for 25 essential KSMs, DIs, and APIs.
To generate awareness and promote participation in the scheme, the government undertook a range of initiatives. These included hosting webinars and consultations with industry stakeholders, issuing detailed guidelines and FAQs, releasing official notifications, and running extensive outreach campaigns via social media. Additionally, a dedicated helpdesk and query resolution portal were set up to assist applicants and share updates regularly through press releases on official government websites.