The Centre has clarified that there is currently no proposal to establish a Bulk Drug Park in Odisha under the central government’s scheme for the “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, or any other Central Scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
The clarification was provided by Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
The Scheme for Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks was approved by the Union Cabinet on March 20, 2020, with the objective of facilitating the establishment of three Bulk Drug Parks across the country. The scheme aims to reduce the manufacturing cost of bulk drugs by developing world-class common infrastructure facilities.
According to the government, the creation of such parks is also expected to help manufacturers achieve economies of scale, thereby strengthening domestic production of critical pharmaceutical ingredients and reducing manufacturing costs.
Under the scheme, the Department of Pharmaceuticals received proposals from 13 states seeking approval for the establishment of Bulk Drug Parks. Following an evaluation of the proposals, the government approved projects in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
However, Odisha was not among the states whose proposals were approved under the scheme. The government has now categorically stated that there is no proposal to establish a Bulk Drug Park in Odisha under the Bulk Drug Parks scheme, the PLI scheme or any other Central Scheme administered by the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
The Bulk Drug Parks initiative is part of the Centre’s broader efforts to strengthen India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem and promote domestic production of bulk drugs and key pharmaceutical inputs. By providing common infrastructure, the scheme seeks to address challenges related to high production costs and infrastructure requirements faced by manufacturers.
The government’s decision to establish parks in three states is intended to create dedicated manufacturing ecosystems with shared facilities, helping companies lower operational costs and improve competitiveness.
The latest clarification also indicates that Odisha does not currently have a project under the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ major central schemes aimed at boosting bulk drug manufacturing. The government’s response was made in the Rajya Sabha in response to a parliamentary query regarding the status of Bulk Drug Parks in the state.
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