Background of Pharmaceutical industry in India

In recent years, India has achieved phenomenal growth in the pharmaceutical sector, demonstrating the capacity to meet domestic needs and the expertise to cater to the global demands. India produces a third of the world’s drugs, and is the largest supplier of low-cost generics, vaccines and affordable HIV medication. India’s pharma sector serves more than 200 countries and territories. It has the second-largest number of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medicine-manufacturing plants. By 2024, the industry is expected to reach $65 billion in worth. This impressive growth has led to India acquiring the distinction of “pharmacy of the world”.

Despite all this, majority of the Indians do not have access to the cheapest medications in the world. Most of the drugs are overpriced and unaffordable. The margins are extremely high. This means that the hapless consumer is overcharged by a huge margin, which in turn may even cause indebtedness of patients and their families.

What is Sukruthi Pharma

Sukruthi Pharma is a joint initiative between two NGOs, Sukruthi Charitable Trust and Raghavendra Rural Health Care Foundation (RRHCF). It is a not-for-profit initiative that was set up to make available essential medicines of quality at reduced costs by eliminating the margins shared with prescribers, middlemen, and related marketing costs.

Why did we start Sukruthi Pharma

Medicines constitute 50 to 80 percent of the costs of health care in India, which is the second-most leading cause of rural indebtedness in India after expenses on social rituals. Retail prices of most brand and price leaders are high priced and enjoy a cost-to-sales margin of anything from 100 to 3000 percent.

We believe that medicines must be of a high quality but be accessible and affordable to all, if India is to reach the goal of health for all.