New Delhi,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it is because of the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry that today India is identified as 'pharmacy of world'. He made this remark during an interaction with leaders of the pharmaceutical industry via video conferencing.

The Prime Minister appreciated the crucial role of the pharma sector in the fight against the pandemic.

He also appreciated the way the pharma industry is working even in such trying conditions."Essential medicines were made available to more than 150 countries around the world during the pandemic. Despite all the challenges, the Indian pharma industry has also registered a growth of 18 per cent in exports last year, which shows its potential," Modi said.

Noting the second wave of the virus and rising number of cases, the Prime Minister commended the pharma industry for their efforts to increase production of several necessary drugs.

He appreciated them for reducing the price of injections like 'Remdesivir' and to keep the supply of medicines and essential medical equipment going smoothly.

The Prime Minister urged the pharma industry to ensure seamless supply chains and extended government's support for facilities like logistics and transportation.

He urged the industry to conduct more and more research on threats which can occur in the future along with Covid. "This would help us take the lead in combating the virus," he said.

Seeking cooperation from the pharma industry, PM Modi assured that the government is undertaking reforms for new drugs and regulatory processes.

The leaders of the pharma industry appreciated the proactive help and support received from the government. They highlighted the efforts made over the last one year in ensuring availability of drugs keeping manufacturing and logistics operational. Operations at the pharma hubs for manufacturing, transportation, logistics and ancillary services are being maintained at optimum levels.

The participants also shares inputs on the measures being undertaken to meet the overall medicine demand in the country despite the unprecedented increase in demand for some drugs for Covid treatment protocol.