India's PLI scheme hits a roadblock

Accusations of carterlization and monopoly by India's pharma lobby has got the Indian government revisiting its Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and inviting fresh applications for the manufacture of certain key starting materials. Several active pharma ingredients (APIs) such as valsartan, losartan, levofloxacin, sulfadiazine, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin among others, are to be manufactured under the PLI scheme, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent.

Given the enhanced budgetary outlay and increased product coverage under PLI 2.0, announced on June 1, 2021, the scheme was initially hailed as an exciting opportunity for the pharma industry to be part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision of the government.

However, charges of monopoly and undue favouritism to certain pharmaceutical companies has got the government to do a double think.