Pharma biz seeks clearance of imported APIs, medical devices

New Delhi

In a communication to the Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, the Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) said it has been inundated with distress calls from its member companies over an acute disruption in manufacturing of pharmaceutical products over the last three days.

The letter was also marked to the PMO and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade among others. “Very critical KSM’s (Key Starting Material), intermediates & API’s (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) are not being cleared for the reasons not known to the industry at all,” said the letter by Dinesh Dua, Chairman, Pharmexcil. Even critical devices such as ‘infrared thermometers’ and ‘pulse oximeters’ which are specifically aimed at COVID-19 diagnosis as also ‘glucometers’ and ‘strips’ are also held up at the Delhi airport, he said. The self reliance or the “Aatmanirbhar” principle will take its own time in a phased and considered manner through the Centre’s incentives such as ‘pharma parks’ as also production linked incentives’ (PLI).