New Delhi, July 20 (KNN) The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers will announce a series of schemes and initiatives focusing on MSMEs to strengthen the Pharmaceuticals Industry.

These initiatives will be formally unveiled by Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Health & Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday at Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar International Convention Centre.

The policies will be rolled out under the banner of Schemes for ‘Strengthening Pharmaceuticals Industry’ (SPI).

It aims to further enhance India’s existing manufacturing ability in the Pharmaceuticals Industry.

These schemes will cater to the technology upgradation at unit and cluster level both, considering that MSMEs tend to grow in clusters.

The government also plans to incentivise the intending MSME units going in for acquiring Schedule M certification or WHO GMP Certification through the sub-scheme Pharmaceuticals Industry Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme (PTUAS).

The MSME unit shall have the option to choose from either Capital subsidy or Interest subvention, said the statement.

At the cluster level, the sub-scheme ‘Assistance to Pharmaceuticals Industry for Common Facilities’ (APICF) envisages to support creation of common facilities like Testing Labs, Common Effluent Treatment plants and other such common facilities by providing Govt support in the form of capital grant to the extent of up to 70 per cent subject to a ceiling of a maximum of Rs 20 crore.

To generate soft inputs for policy advocacy sectoral studies and similar programmes will be organised under the third sub-scheme to bridge the knowledge gap.  (KNN Bureau)