New Delhi, August 7: The central government announced on Friday that it has disbursed ₹6,659 crore to the pharmaceutical sector through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, set to continue until March 2026.
In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel stated that the PLI scheme for the pharmaceutical sector was launched in the fiscal year 2022-23. Out of a total financial outlay of ₹15,000 crore, ₹6,659 crore has already been allocated by March 2026.
The minister further explained that under the PLI scheme for bulk drugs, ₹87.70 crore has been distributed from a total allocation of ₹6,940 crore by March 2026.
However, the implementation of bulk drug PLI projects has faced challenges, including delays in land acquisition, environmental approvals, high utility costs, and extended manufacturing timelines for fermentation-based bulk drugs.
Unlike chemical synthesis, fermentation relies on the biological activity of living cells, which grow at a natural and slower pace. These factors have contributed to project delays, subsequently affecting fund distribution, as incentives are released based on the sales of products manufactured under these projects.
The minister also mentioned that the government is running a PLI scheme for medical devices, with ₹266.64 crore distributed by March 2026.
Additionally, the government reported that under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), total sales at Maximum Retail Price (MRP) over the past two fiscal years reached ₹4,274.66 crore. Sales for the fiscal year 2024-25 amounted to ₹2,022.47 crore, while for 2025-26, the figure was ₹2,252.19 crore.
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