'India cancels licences of some drug firms in crackdown on fake products'

Indian authorities have cancelled or suspended licences of some domestic drug companies as part of action taken against 76 pharmaceutical firms this month for selling adulterated or fake products, a government source said on Thursday.

India is known as the 'pharmacy of the world' and its pharmaceuticals exports have more than doubled over the past decade to $24.5 billion in 2021-22.

But that image has been dented by the death of at least 70 children in Gambia and 19 children in Uzbekistan  in Uzbekistan last year linked to drugs made by India-based pharmaceutical companies.

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed a crackdown but did not give details of companies against which action had been taken.

"There are more than 10,500 pharma companies in the country. Companies who make spurious medicine will not be spared," Mandaviya told reporters at an event.

Licences of some Indian drug companies have been cancelled, some were suspended while others have been put on notice during the past 15 days, the source, who had direct knowledge of the matter, told Reuters news agency.

The source, who did not want to be identified as they were not authorized to speak to the media, declined to reveal the names of the companies.

The government has said it will spend $79.6 million on strengthening its drug regulatory after the World Health Organization raised concerns about domestically produced cough syrups being linked to the death of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan.