New Delhi: A total investment of Rs 5,210.74 crore has been made under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for bulk drugs as of June 2026 with 39 projects for manufacturing 28 active pharmaceutical ingredients/key starting materials (APIs/KSMs) being commissioned, according to an official statement on Friday.
The government had in 2020 approved the PLI Scheme for bulk drugs, with a total financial outlay of Rs 6,940 crore.
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The government has made wide-ranging efforts to increase investment in the pharmaceutical sector for enhancing manufacturing capabilities, to prevent disruption in supply of critical APIs used to make critical drugs and promote medical device industry under the PLI scheme, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers -- Department of Pharmaceuticals, said in the statement.
The scheme has strengthened domestic manufacturing, reduced import dependence and encouraged technology adoption that has helped to build globally competitive manufacturing capabilities in pharma and the MedTech sectors, it said.
As of June 2026, PLI scheme beneficiaries achieved sales of Rs 3,792.49 crore, including exports of Rs 560.16 crore, while generating employment opportunities for 5,127 people, the ministry said in the statement.
Five greenfield projects have commissioned manufacturing facilities under the scheme, demonstrating the growing scale and diversity of domestic production, covering critical ingredients for antibiotics, cardiovascular medicines and paracetamol.
Lyfius Pharma Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Aurobindo Pharma Ltd, has established a large-scale Penicillin G manufacturing facility at Kakinada SEZ in Andhra Pradesh. The project with an investment of Rs 2,270.05 crore, has installed capacity of 15,000 MT per annum.
Kinvan Pvt Ltd, a DPB Group company, has established a 400 MT per annum fermentation-based manufacturing facility for Clavulanic Acid (Potassium Clavulanate) at Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh.
The project with an investment of Rs 504.68 crore, has generated 465 direct jobs and recorded cumulative production of Rs 413 crore, the statement noted, adding that this is the country's first fermentation-based manufacturing facility for Potassium Clavulanate.
Andhra Organics Ltd (AOL) -- a wholly owned subsidiary of Virchow Laboratories Ltd -- has commissioned manufacturing facilities for Sulfadiazine, Telmisartan and Olmesartan at Pydibhimavaram in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.
The projects involve a combined investment of Rs 151.47 crore and have generated 221 direct employments.
Meghmani LLP has set up a 13,500 MT per annum manufacturing facility for para amino phenol at Dahej, Gujarat, with an investment of Rs 60.46 crore.
Centrient Pharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd has established a greenfield Atorvastatin API manufacturing facility in Nawanshahr, Punjab, with an installed capacity of 206 MT per annum.
The project with an investment of Rs 161.13 crore, has recorded cumulative production of Rs 432 crore, as per the official statement.
The PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals was approved in 2021 with a total financial outlay of Rs 15,000 crore. The scheme seeks to enhance India's manufacturing capabilities, increase investment and production, and encourage a shift towards high-value pharmaceutical products.
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It supports manufacturing across categories, including biopharmaceuticals, complex generics, patented and off-patent drugs, orphan drugs, auto-immune medicines and other high-value pharmaceutical products, along with specified APIs, DIs, and KSMs not covered under the Bulk Drugs PLI Scheme, the statement noted.
A total of 55 applicants, including 20 MSMEs, have been selected under the scheme. As of June 2026, the scheme has attracted Rs 46,744 crore in actual investment, substantially exceeding the targeted investment of Rs 17,275 crore.
The scheme has also contributed to 1,21,294 jobs as of June 2026. Beneficiary companies have achieved cumulative sales of Rs 4.02 lakh crore, including exports worth Rs 2.57 lakh crore, from the commencement of the performance period in 2022-23 up to June 2026.
Companies such as Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, AurobindoPharma Ltd, Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, Lupin Ltd, Cipla Ltd, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd have expanded their capacities to manufacture complex generics, biosimilars, auto-immune medicines and other high-value pharmaceuticals, the statement added.
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