Pharma industry to work-out a mechanism for fast clearances of FDI proposals

05 Jun 2012 Evaluate

In order to work-out a mechanism for fast clearances of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals in the pharmaceutical sector, the Finance Ministry has convened a meeting with the pharma industry on June 7, 2012. On this matter, a finance ministry official said, ‘we will meet the pharma industry on June 7 to sort out issues delaying clearances to FDI proposals. We will give them a check-list of the essential information FIPB needs.’

Uncertainty of whether these projects be cleared by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) or the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has delayed a number of proposals. Normally, proposals require approval of the FIPB under the finance ministry, although 100% FDI is allowed in the sector.

There has been an increase in takeovers of the home-based pharmaceutical companies in the last 18-24 months, and eagerness of the multinational companies to increase their hold on the Indian pharma market along with big players dictating the market, made the government last year to keep the FIPB filter on the pharmaceutical FDI proposals and not through automatic route. The government’s decision was mainly on the back of concern expressed by a section of the government and the civil society that these takeovers and mergers would result in making the essential drugs unaffordable for majority of the people.

There have been a number of takeovers by overseas drug makers in the last couple of years, which include Abbott Laboratories' buyout of Piramal Healthcare's domestic formulations business, Daiichi Sankyo's acquisition of Ranbaxy Laboratories - India's largest drug company and Sanofi Aventis' takeover of Shanta Biotech.

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