Generic Medicines

          The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of a Chemical & Fertilizers has informed that as per the Report of the Working Group on Drugs and Pharmaceuticals for 12^th Five Year Plan, the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry has grown from Rs.71000 crores in 2007 to over Rs.1 lac crores in 2009-2010 comprising Rs.62,055 crores of domestic market and exports of over Rs.42,154 crores. The Industry is ranked 3^rd globally in volume and 14^th in value, supplying around 10% of total global production. This also amounts to around 20% of total volume of global generics. Thus, every 5^th Tablet, Capsule and Injectable in generic drugs consumed anywhere in the World is manufactured in India The export data of the pharmaceutical products as provided by the Department of Commerce for the last three years is as under:

(Rs. In crore)

Year	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12
Exports	24,570.26	25,130.42	40,218.15

            Instructions have been issued from time to time to all Central Government hospitals and CGHS dispensaries to prescribe generic medicines to the maximum extent possible. The State Governments have also similarly been asked to instruct their doctors to prescribe generic medicines.

            The above information was given by the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on February 22, 2013.