Govt launches schemes to boost production of local bulk drugs\, medical devices

India's chemicals minister on Monday launched schemes to boost manufacturing in the bulk drugs and medical device industries to reduce India's dependence on exports in these sectors.

"The objective is to make India self-reliant in production of 53 critical (active pharmaceutical ingredients) APIs or Key Starting Materials (KSMs), and in production of medical devices, for which India is crucially dependent upon imports," Sadananda Gowda, the federal minister for chemicals and fertilisers, tweeted on Monday.