In his speech, the prime minister emphasised on the fact that Indian healthcare sector has earned global trust to the extent of being called the ‘pharmacy of the world’
India exported more than 65 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 100 countries this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday inaugurating the first global innovation summit of the pharmaceutical sector.
In his speech, the prime minister emphasised on the fact that Indian healthcare sector has earned global trust to the extent of being called the “pharmacy of the world”.
“I invite you all to ideate in India, innovate in India, make in India and make for the world. Discover your true strength and serve the world,” he said.
Modi said India’s vision is to create an eco-system for innovation that will make the country a leader in drug discovery and innovative medical devices.
“Our policy interventions are being made based on wide consultations with all stakeholders,” he said.
Noting that India has a large pool of scientists and technologists with a potential to take the industry to greater heights, Modi said this strength needs to be harnessed to discover and make in India.
India strives to ramp up vaccine production capacities: PM
Modi said that 65 million vaccine doses have been exported to more than 100 nations this year. He also mentioned that the country would strive to ramp up the capacity of delivering more doses.
“Today, when 1.3 billion people of India have taken it upon themselves to make India ‘aatmanirbhar’, we must think about ramping up domestic manufacturing of key ingredients for vaccines and medicines,” he asserted.
This is one frontier that India has to conquer, he said.
He noted that whether it is lifestyle, or medicines, or medical technology, or vaccines, every aspect of healthcare has received global attention over the last two years.
In this context, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has also risen to the challenge, Modi said.
The global trust earned by the Indian healthcare sector has led to India being called the pharmacy of the world in recent times, he said.
Exported live-saving medicines to over 150 nations during first COVID-19 phase: PM
“We exported lifesaving medicines and medical equipment to over 150 countries during the initial phase of the pandemic,” Modi said.
“We have also exported more than 65 million doses of COVID vaccines to nearly 100 countries this year,” the prime minister said, adding that India will do much more as it ramps up its capacity.
He also dwelt on the growing acceptance and demand for India’s traditional medicines in the global market. “There is now significant and growing demand for these products (traditional medicines) in the international market. This can be seen through the sharp rise in exports of these products in recent years. In 2020-21 alone, India exported herbal medicines worth over $1.5 bn. The World Health Organisation is also working to set up its Global Centre for Traditional Medicines in India,” he said.
He asserted that India’s definition of well-ness is not limited by physical boundaries and it believes in the well-being of the entire humankind.
“And, we have shown this spirit to the whole world during the COVID-19 global pandemic,” he said.
Employing nearly three million people and with a trade surplus of USD 13 billion, the pharma sector is a key driver of India’s economic growth, Modi said.
Health sector attracted over $12 bn FDI since 2014
India’s healthcare sector attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) of over $12 billion since 2014 and there is potential for much more, he said.
He highlighted that the industry has got a major boost through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes worth over Rs 30,000 crore for the pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
The two-day summit will have 12 sessions and over 40 national and international speakers deliberating on a range of subjects, including regulatory environment, funding for innovation, industry-academia collaboration and innovation infrastructure, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
With inputs from PTI