The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers' Department of Pharmaceuticals provided detailed information about support to pharmaceutical MSME clusters in Himachal Pradesh under the Strengthening of Pharmaceuticals Industry (SPI) scheme. Under the Assistance to Pharmaceutical Industry for Common Facilities (APICF) sub-scheme, two projects in Solan District received approval: M/s Welzo Research & Development Private Limited was approved in FY 2022-23 with a sanctioned Grant-in-aid of ₹19.53 crore, while M/s Himachal Pradesh Testing Lab Limited (HPTLL) was approved in FY 2025-26 with ₹17.87 crore.
The Welzo project for establishing Research & Development and Testing Laboratory has been completed with central grant releases totaling ₹19.53 crore across four fiscal years: ₹5.86 crore in FY 2022-23, ₹4.88 crore in FY 2023-24, ₹6.84 crore in FY 2024-25, and ₹1.95 crore in FY 2025-26. The HPTLL project for establishing a Common Facility Centre for Research & Development and center of excellence for skill development has not yet received financial assistance due to pending procedural requirements from HPTLL.
Under the Revamped Pharmaceutical Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme (RPTUAS) sub-scheme, aimed at facilitating technology upgradation to Revised Schedule-M and WHO-GMP certification, 16 pharmaceutical units in Solan District were approved in FY 2024-25 with a sanction amount of ₹17.19 crores, and 27 units were approved in FY 2025-26 with ₹29.02 crores. From these approved units, incentives of ₹6.42 crore have been released to seven pharmaceutical units.
Currently, 21 applications from pharmaceutical units located in Himachal Pradesh are pending under the RPTUAS sub-scheme due to a temporary restriction pending the finalization of the Expenditure Finance Committee/Standing Finance Committee's decision on extension of the sub-scheme. The minister confirmed that no proposals from Himachal Pradesh are pending under the APICF sub-scheme.