The ministry of commerce has asked the Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics Export Promotion Council (Chemexcil) to wind up its pharma panel and stop all export promotion activities related to drugs and pharmaceuticals. The decision was conveyed to Chemexcil as a measure to implement the DGFT notification (public notice No 61 dated 16th March) that gave exclusive rights for drugs and pharma promotion to Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil).

According to ministry officials, the instructions to Chemexcil were given as the public notice was silent on the future of the pharma panel of Chemexcil. The Chemexcil is known to have cancelled all its scheduled panel meetings after the instruction.

Welcoming the recent ministry directive, D B Mody and Venkat Jasti, chairman and vice chairman of Pharmexcil said that with the ministry's full backing, the council is now in a position to handle the entire export promotion activities of pharmaceutical sector of the country. They wanted all the drug exporters, who are yet to register with them, to join Pharmexcil immediately, and avail the benefits meant for the exporters. They also reminded that Pharmexcil is the only council that has the mandate to issue Registration Cum Membership Certificates (RCMC), a prerequisite to carry out exports and avail export related benefits. "Most of the pharmaceutical manufacturers who are into export business have already enrolled themselves with Pharmexcil. The merchant exporters who may not have joined can also do without further delay," they added.

All pharmaceutical industry associations representing both multinational and domestic drug companies are supporting Pharmexcil. The merchant exporters and small scale manufacturers are also part of the council and well represented in its Committee of Administration, they said.