To what extent the India’s pharma industry is too effective to avoid the consequences of a long of the corona pandemic. Analyse (200 Words)
Refer - Financial Express
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands
IAS Parliament 5 years
KEY POINTS
· India’s dependence on China for supply of various imports—raw materials, intermediates, finished products—is significant. The largest Indian imports from China are those of machineries, and components.
· Various electrical and non-electrical machineries, industrial appliances, machine parts, and components comprise half of Indian imports from China. These are followed by imports of organic chemicals and fertilisers.
· On antibiotics, too, India’s sourcing dependence on China is quite high. The most significant among these are penicillin and its salts, rifampicin and its salts, 6-APA, and various other antibiotics. More than 90% of penicillin and its salts is imported by India from China.
· The specific success of Indian pharma firms in this regard has been in manufacturing generic drugs.
· The proficiency has enabled them to quickly pick up branded drugs once their patents expire and produce generic versions of the same. The latter are sold at much cheaper prices than the branded drugs in both domestic and international markets.
· However, the success of this process depends heavily on availability of bulk drugs. The latter provides Indian formulation makers the critical drugs that can be used as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in formulations.
· Both heterocyclic nitrogenous compounds as well as various antibiotics like penicillin and rifampicin salts are used in different pharmaceuticals formulations that are sold as capsules and tablets through retail stores.
· The upstream of the Indian pharma industry value chain is critically connected to sourcing from China. And, this is the part of the pharma production that is likely to get disrupted as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19.
· Costs are expected to rise, as more and more countries turn to other locations to make up for deficient supplies from China.
India has already banned exports of some major formulations to avoid domestic disruptions. But, even then, prolongation of the pandemic, and lack of supplies from China might have their consequences.
Shivangi 5 years
Please review.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Try to include about India's efficiency in manufacturing generic drugs. Keep Writing.
Raj 5 years
Kindly please review. Thanks.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Try to include about India's efficiency in manufacturing of Generic drugs. Keep Writing.
Raj 5 years
