India “too reliant” on Chinese drug imports
05-Dec-14, BBC
India produces a third of the world's medicines, mostly in the form of generic drugs. But more than 80% of the raw materials for these drugs are imported from China.
That gives its neighbour and rival a virtual monopoly over pricing and supply - so much so that there are no domestic producers left for many essential medicines in India. These drugs include the most commonly used painkillers such as paracetamol and Aspirin, and antibiotics such as amoxicillin.
The government is now worried that in the event of a dispute with China, India could face a public health crisis. It is a scenario it is determined to avoid.
India has more than doubled the import of antibiotic drugs from China in recent years, and the trade is now worth billions of dollars. There are now no domestic producers left for penicillin and its derivative, for example, leading to fears of a public health crisis if China were to ever stop its supply. Drug companies in India blame the government, saying that low-cost imports have driven many manufacturers to close down.