In a measure that will give some financial assistance to the small and medium pharma exporters in the country, the Union commerce ministry has decided to reimburse 50 per cent the registration claims of the pharma exporters under the Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme. In financial terms, the benefit will be between US$ 500 and above depending on the exporting country.

MAI Scheme is an Export Promotion Scheme envisaged to act as a catalyst to promote India’s export on a sustained basis. The scheme is formulated on focus product-focus country approach to evolve specific market and specific product through market studies/survey. Assistance would be provided to export promotion organizations/trade promotion organizations/national level institutions/research institutions/universities/laboratories, exporters, etc., for enhancement of export through accessing new markets or through increasing the share in the existing markets.

The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil)'s SME panel members, comprising its chairman Nipun Jain, committee of administration members Bhavin Mehta and Ashutosh Gupta, had taken up the matter with senior commerce ministry officials like additional secretary Rajiv Kher and director Mridul Jain in this regard recently.

Sources said that the ministry officials were receptive in their approach and had agreed to the panel's suggestion of reimbursing registration claims (under MAI Scheme), even if registration money was paid by the exporter’s agent. The panel, in its meeting with the officials, also took up the issue of plant approvals under the MAI scheme. The ministry has assured the panel of considering the proposal some time later as it has understood the practical problem of pharma SMEs.

Besides the reimbursement for the fresh proposals, the ministry has also agreed to reimburse last 2 years' claims i.e. 2009-10 and 2010-2011 under MAI scheme, sources said.

For availing the MAI claims, the exporters have to submit the documents like registration certificate by ministry of health of importing country and payment receipt issued in the name of manufacturer issued by the ministry of health of the importing country.