Pandemic brought every aspect of the pharma sector into sharp focus: PM Modi

Delhi: Inaugurating the first Global Innovation Summit of the Pharmaceuticals sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today highlighted that India has become the “pharmacy of the world” with the trust it has earned especially in the testing times of COVID. The pandemic brought every aspect of the pharmaceutical sector be it lifestyle, medicines, medical technology, or vaccines into sharp focus, adding on that India’s pharmaceutical sector conquered all challenges posed in front of it.

Addressing the Summit, Prime Minister Modi annotated that the health and wellness of entire humankind and not just the citizens of this country has been the motivation behind continuous extension of help to other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking on the exports of essential health services and equipment, Modi said, “We exported lifesaving medicines and medical equipment to over 150 countries during the initial phase of the pandemic. We have also exported more than 65 million doses of Covid vaccines to nearly 100 countries this year.”

He further propounded on making India an ecosystem for innovation to help India become a global leader in drug discovery and innovative medical devices. This is being done through policy interventions based on wide consultation with all stakeholders. The large pool of talent and technology that India possesses needs to be harnessed to make India a global leader.

Stressing on developing indigenous capabilities and excelling in every sector, PM Modi said, “Today, when 1.3 billion people of India have taken it upon themselves to make India Atma Nirbhar, we must think about ramping up domestic manufacturing of key ingredients for vaccines and medicines. This is one frontier that India has to conquer” concluded by emphasizing on ideating, innovating and developing in India to serve the needs of the entire global population.