ET Intelligence Bureau: The Union Budget 2021 does not have any specific measure for the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector. The increased expenditure on healthcare will indirectly help the pharma industry to increase access of medicines to rural India.
The words ‘pharma’, ‘drug’ or ‘medicine’ does not have any mention in the Budget speech. Little wonder then that the BSE Healthcare Index closed almost flat. The stock of industry leader
closed a tad higher at 0.6%, Dr Reddys Labs at -3.7%, at -2.4% and at -1.9%.
The proposed outlay of Rs 50,000 crore to be spent for the National Research Foundation over the next five years to fund and promote research in the country is a move in the right direction. It will help in providing research talent for the pharma & drug industry in the long term.
