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India has flagged supply-side constraints in key pharmaceutical inputs, particularly solvents used in the production of life-saving drugs, even as the government moved to stabilise availability amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Speaking at an inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia developments, Satyaprakash TL said there is a clear impact on pharma supply chains due to disruptions in feedstock and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). However, he noted that drug prices have not seen any significant increase so far.He underlined that the pharma sector has strong value chain linkages with the petrochemical and petroleum industries, which supply critical feedstock and solvents used in manufacturing medicines and syrups.To ease supply pressures, the Department of Revenue has slashed customs duties on around 40 petrochemical products from April 1. In parallel, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has ensured pro-rata allocation of key feedstocks, including propylene, ammonia and methanol.“Methanol supply has emerged as a major area of concern,” Satyaprakash TL said, adding that discussions are underway to augment supplies and moderate flows have already begun.While ammonia supplies are being maintained through coordination with the Department of Fertilisers, methanol availability has emerged as a key concern, with some scarcity reported. The government has initiated discussions with Assam Petrochemicals Limited and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals to augment supply, with moderate flows already commencing.Propylene remains critical for the production of isopropyl alcohol and isobutyl benzene—key inputs for drugs such as Ibuprofen—with supplies being supported through refineries of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in Kochi and Mumbai.Also Read:Additionally, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has suspended quality control requirements for morpholine, an important building block for several life-saving drugs, to ease supply constraints. Aluminium availability for pharma packaging has also been impacted, though restoration efforts are underway.Despite the disruptions, supplies of LPG and high-speed diesel—critical for vial sealing and plant operations—remain adequate, and pharma units are not facing operational constraints.Satyaprakash said concerns over a large-scale drug shortage are “extremely overstated”, noting that monthly consumption levels remain substantial—around 30,000 tonnes of propylene, 12,000 tonnes of ammonia and 15,000 tonnes of methanol.He added that the situation is expected to normalise within a week as supply chains stabilise.