Even almost one year after the Rajeev Kher task force submitted its report to the government, recommending sweeping changes to ease the bottlenecks coming in the way of pharmaceutical exports in the country, the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) is yet to take any concrete step on the recommendations.

The task force, headed by Rajiv Kher, joint secretary in the union ministry of commerce, was constituted by prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh way back in July 2006 to find ways and means to ease the bottlenecks coming in the way of pharmaceutical exports in the country. After holding several rounds of meetings with all the stakeholders including the pharma industry and the officials, the task force submitted its recommendations to the prime minister early this year. The prime minister's office (PMO) then directed the DoP to implement the task force recommendations to boost the sagging pharma exports.

But, even after the PMO's directive, the DoP is yet to take any concrete action on the report, except one or two meetings.

The key recommendations of the task force included comprehensive measures for accelerating the growth of generic pharmaceutical industry in the country, enhancing India’s R&D, promoting contract manufacturing, drug discovery & clinical trials, Indian System of Medicines & AYUSH.

The task force exclusively on pharam exports was constituted in the wake of the pharma industry making strides in the country during the last some years. There has been an increasing activity in the pharma export front as it has grown by leaps and bounds, especially during the last some years. Today the pharma sector alone contributes about five per cent of the total exports of the country.