Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has set up a task force to look into the issues impacting growth and globalisation of pharma SME sector. Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (CIPI) chairman T S Jaishankar will head the panel.

The panel would cover key areas including excise free zones, pricing policy, schedule M and Schedule Y, pharmaceutical technology upgradation fund, pollution control norms, creation of separate ministry for SMEs, possibility of in-border alliances, bringing of SMEs into the mainstream and quality and regulatory reforms among other things. The task force is expected to finalise the recommendations by March 31 next, after holding meetings with concerned officials and stakeholders.

The CII Pharma- SME Task Force was set up at a meeting of the CII National Committee of Life Sciences held near here recently. The panel will come out with CII recommendations towards all-round growth of SMEs in the pharma sector. The chairman and the members of the panel will also be meeting policy makers to discuss key points and formulation of recommendations.

The CII also decided to organise a SME symposium focussing on emerging issues and trends of the Indian pharma SMEs. The CII is planning to organise a brainstorming session with the representatives of different SME pharma associations to draw out concrete action plan along with a draft document to be submitted to different ministries for the augmentation of the cause. The meeting has been scheduled for November 16 and it has already written to the industry captains in the small and medium pharma sector.

The meeting also observed that the present norms of Schedule M and Schedule Y needed a lot of changes from the present form. Members also pointed out that the PTUF scheme has not been utilised properly to benefit the pharma industry. The trade body is planning to come out with recommendations to give more clarity to Schedule Y and for harmonisation of the Indian drugs act to avoid unnecessary delay in bringing products to the market. Similarly, the CII members also felt that the promotion of Schedule M was not moving as per expectations.

The national committee meeting also decided to step up engagements with the government and regulatory bodies periodically to place the views of CII on the pharma sector and forward timely recommendations on various policies and schemes.