Fake drugs` export: Govt calls meeting
Following the European Commission allegations that India is the biggest supplier of counterfeit drugs to the European Union, the Union commerce ministry has called for a meeting of key stakeholders in the drug industry pharmaceutical exporters, the Export Promotion Council and the drugs control department to gauge the seriousness of the allegation and take remedial measures to promote medicine exports to the EU.
Nearly one-fourth of the Indian drug export revenues, worth over $1 billion, come from the EU market.
According to sources, the allegations of counterfeiting will also be addressed in the forthcoming strategy paper being prepared by a task force, formed by the commerce ministry at the behest of the Prime Minister s Office.
By Joe C Mathew
14 July 2007