PLI Scheme on Pharmaceuticals

• The PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals is based on the strategy of “Atmanirbhar Bharat- Strategies for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports in ten sectors”, which had been approved by the Union Cabinet on 24.02.2021. 
• The objective of the Production linked incentive scheme is to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities by increasing investment and production in the sector and contributing to product diversification to high-value goods in the pharmaceutical sector.
• One of the further objectives of the Production linked incentive scheme is to create global champions out of India who have the potential to grow in size and scale using cutting-edge technology and thereby penetrate the global value chains.
• The production-linked incentive scheme will provide financial incentives on the incremental sales (over Base Year) of pharmaceutical goods and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices to selected applicants based on pre-defined selection criteria.
• The incentives will be paid for a maximum period of 6 years for each participant depending upon the threshold investments and sales criteria to be achieved by the applicant.
• The total quantum of the incentive for the scheme is Rs 15,000 crore.
• SIDBI is the Project Management Agency for the Scheme.
• The applications were invited in three different categories of applicants to ensure fair competition and broad coverage amongst the industry players. The categories were based on the size of the applicant as determined by the global manufacturing revenues from pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• The Production linked incentive scheme covers three different product categories for which applicants have applied under the scheme. These products are expected to give an impetus to innovation, R&D and widening of the product profile of the India Pharmaceutical industry.

Category 1:

• Biopharmaceuticals; Complex generic drugs; Patented drugs or drugs nearing patent expiry; Cell-based or gene therapy drugs; Orphan drugs; Special empty capsules like HPMC, Pullulan, enteric, etc.; Complex excipients; Phyto-pharmaceuticals.

Category 2:

• Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients / Key Starting materials / Drug Intermediates (except the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients / Key Starting materials / Drug Intermediates covered under the earlier PLI scheme for APIs/KSMs and DIs being implemented by the Department)

Category 3 (Drugs not covered under Category 1 and Category 2):

• Repurposed drugs; Autoimmune drugs, anti-cancer drugs, anti-diabetic drugs, anti-infective drugs, cardiovascular drugs, psychotropic drugs and anti-retroviral drugs; In vitro diagnostic devices; Other drugs not manufactured in India.

Other Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes in India

• PLI scheme “National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage”
• PLI Scheme for IT Hardware
• PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry
• PLI Scheme for 'National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules'
• PLI Scheme for White Goods (AC and LED Lights)
• PLI Scheme for Textiles
• PLI Scheme for Drones
• PLI Scheme on Automobiles & Auto Components
• PLI Scheme on Pharmaceuticals

SWADESH - World’s First Brain Imaging Data & Analytics

• DBT-National Brain Research Centre (DBT-NBRC) has recently developed project SWADESH - World’s First Brain Imaging Data & Analytics is a unique brain initiative focusing on certified neuroimaging, neurochemical, neuropsychological data and analytics that are made accessible to researchers for managing brain disorders.
• SWADESH is the first large-scale multimodal neuroimaging database designed specifically for the Indian population with big-data architecture and analytics for various disease categories (Fig. 1) under one platform.

• To strengthen Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research and help scientific community come up with promising treatments.
• SWADESH proposes a big-data architecture that manages and analyzes six modules, namely neurodegenerative [AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Parkinson’s disease (PD)], neuropsychiatric (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), neurodevelopmental (autism and epilepsy), COVID-19-related disorders, other disorders, and healthy subjects.
• SWADESH is supported by a JAVA-based workflow environment and Python. Backed by a dedicated storage system, it provides quality control, data analysis reports, and data backups. Its development will facilitate the integration of multi-site data and collaborative research worldwide. Presently, SWADESH has data of 500 AD and MCI patients and 70 PD patients. It also includes data of 600 healthy old individuals and 800 healthy young individuals in the control group.
• DBT-NBRC has developed several clinical research tools through SWADESH. GAURI system uses adaptive pattern recognition and learning schemes for predictive single or differential diagnosis, designed with MRI modalities and neuropsychological batteries.
• NINS-STAT is a high-performance state-of-the-art automated statistical test selection and execution software package with high applicability in clinical research.
• KALPANA is an integrative package for the visualization, preprocessing, and quantitation of MRS data.
• PRATEEK analyzes multimodal neuroimaging data that minimizes the need for expertise in handling different neuroimaging tools for processing and analyzing multimodal data.
• Stimulus Timing Integrated Module (STIM) includes a versatile paradigm design system, presentation system, and real-time participant response-collection system for functional MRI-related purposes, mapping brain activity non-invasively in normal healthy condition and clinical evaluation of various brain disorders.
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• Dr. Mandal’s team in DBT-NBRC subsequently launched BHARAT, a big-data analytic model for early diagnostic biomarkers of AD. The design included a Hadoop-based big-data framework integrating MRI, MRS, and neuropsychological test scores. The team is working to expand the project to include rich multimodal neuroimaging datasets for healthy and diseased cases.

WISER Programme for Women researchers in joint R&D Pro

• A first-of-its-kind programme to promote women in the field of research and development through lateral entry was launched.
• The programme called Women’s Involvement in Science and Engineering Research (WISER) program was launched by Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) for encouraging women researchers in joint R&D projects.
• This program by IGSTC, a joint initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Government of Germany, will support women scientists holding regular/long-term research positions in academia or research institutes/industry. Involvement in the program will be possible through lateral entry.
• There is neither requirement for break-in-career nor any age limit, and it will enable easy participation.
• IGSTC is going to support the awardees with a maximum amounting to Rs. 39 L from the Indian side & € 48000 from the German side. The WISER program offers 20 awards per year.

Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme

Sovereign Gold Bonds

• This scheme is for those individuals who intend to purchase gold for investment.
• These bonds are issued by RBI on behalf of Govt on payment of Rs denominated in gms of Gold.
• The interest is not fixed (unlike G-secs): given the prevailing price of Gold.
• Like G-secs, they are backed by a Sovereign guarantee.

Gold Monetization Scheme, 2015

• The scheme was launched in November 2015 along with sovereign gold bonds and Indian gold coins.
• It facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest on their metal accounts. Once the gold is deposited in the metal account, it starts earning interest on the same.
• Under the scheme, a depositor gets 2.25% interest annually for a short-term deposit of one year to three years. Medium- and long-term deposits get 2.5% interest rate.
• Objective: To mobilize the gold held by households and institutions in the country to put this gold into productive use and in the long run to reduce the current account deficit by reducing the country’s reliance on imports of gold to meet the domestic demand.
• Along with GMS, a Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme (an alternative to purchasing metal gold) and the development of the Indian Gold Coin, were also announced.
• Banks may accept the deposit of gold at designated branches, especially from larger depositors.

Click here for an analysis of the Gold Monetization Scheme.