PLI Scheme for Bulk Drugs Progress Update
The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for promotion of domestic manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs), Drug Intermediates (DIs), and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) has approved 48 projects with an overall outlay of ₹6,940 crore. As of March 2026, ₹87.70 crore has been disbursed as incentives to approved applicants, while production capacity has been created for 28 APIs/KSMs/DIs, though commercial production has not been achieved for 10 of these.
Cumulative investment has reached ₹5,070.45 crore against a committed investment of ₹4,329.95 crore, representing significant capital deployment in the sector. The scheme has successfully enabled production commencement for 18 APIs that are reducing import dependency: Penicillin G, Clavulanic Acid, Dexamethasone, Prednisolone, Para Amino Phenol, 1,1 Cyclohexane Diacetic Acid (CDA), Dicyandiamide (DCDA), Atorvastatin, Levofloxacin, Sulfadiazine, Ofloxacin, Norfloxacin, Artesunate, Telmisartan, Lopinavir, Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine, and Diclofenac Sodium.
State-wise Performance Analysis
Andhra Pradesh leads with 10 approved projects, actual investment of ₹2,676 crore (exceeding committed ₹1,745.7 crore), and production value of ₹865.7 crore in 2025-26. Gujarat follows with 8 projects achieving ₹407.3 crore investment and ₹162.9 crore production value in 2025-26. Himachal Pradesh's 2 projects have achieved ₹502.6 crore investment and ₹242.6 crore production value. Punjab's single project shows strong performance with ₹161.1 crore investment and ₹72.01 crore production value. Projects in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir remain in the commissioning stage with no production yet achieved.
Production and Capacity Details
The scheme covers 41 specific products across fermentation-based and chemical synthesis-based KSMs/DIs/APIs. State-wise data shows installed capacity of 16,468 MT in Andhra Pradesh, 13,959 MT in Gujarat, and 7,820 MT in Telangana. Production quantities have shown growth across states, with Andhra Pradesh achieving 5,498.6 MT in 2025-26, Gujarat reaching 5,572.7 MT, and Telangana producing 108.03 MT.