The central government is likely to allow partial reimbursement of product registration fees by drug companies in export markets. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry is in the process of finalizing a scheme wherein about 50 per cent of the registration fees could be returned back to the exporter.

The incentive was first announced in the Exim Policy statement in 2002. Though there was no mention about the scheme in the recent Exim policy, the government has decided to work out the programme for the benefit of the exporting community, it is learnt.

According to sources, the government is to come out with a notification in this regard within a month's time. While the 2002 policy had declared 50 per cent reimbursement of the fees paid for registering drugs abroad, the government is to place a ceiling for reimbursement. Official meetings are being held to work out the details of the scheme, it is learnt.

Though the drug exports from the country had been witnessing steady growth in recent years, there is no data available on the exact amount the industry is spending exclusively for product registration. The introduction of the new scheme should generate a data in this area. Indian pharmaceutical companies have export presence in almost all parts of the world and drug exports from the country touched Rs 10,000 crore during the current year.