UP, Kerala, Karnataka & TN Lead in Establishing Jan Aushadhi Kendras

Further, the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) has established 12,616 JAKs across the country by June 2024.

Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have set up the highest number of government's low-cost, quality generic medicines retail initiative Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs), according to data from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

While some other states are yet to catch up to the trend, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 2,210 JAKs, followed by Kerala (1,228), Karnataka (1,225), and Tamil Nadu (1,107).

These states are the only ones to surpass 1,000 outlets. Further, the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) has established 12,616 JAKs across the country by June 2024.

Per data, Gujarat (682), Maharashtra (675), Bihar (638), and Odisha (556) are faring well.

However, states such as Chandigarh (12), Himachal Pradesh (74), Jharkhand (120), Chhattisgarh (202), Telangana (180), Andhra Pradesh (268), Uttarakhand (284), and Madhya Pradesh (403) have yet to fully leverage the benefits of these low-cost generic stores.

Anupriya Patel, Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, recently stated in the Lok Sabha that the scheme has significantly impacted citizens' lives by providing affordable, quality generic medicines.

"Over the last 10 years, sale of medicines worth Rs. 5,600 crore have been made through PMBJKs (Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras), which has led to estimated savings of Rs. 30,000 crore to the citizens. Further, the scheme provides opportunities for self-employment with sustainable and regular earnings," Patel added.

She informed that the number of retail outlets under the scheme has grown from 80 in 2014 to 12,616 by the end of June 2024, with nearly 35% of these outlets opened by women entrepreneurs.

The Central government aims to establish 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, the flagship scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), by 2027.

The Ministry aims to strengthen and modernize the network of JAKs in the country.

The Government has taken various steps including inviting online applications from all districts in the country, setting up an IT-enabled end-to-end supply chain system designed with one central warehouse at Gurugram and four regional warehouses at Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati, and Surat for smooth supply and products availability.

PMBI has appointed 36 distributors across states and UTs to enhance the supply chain system.

Additionally, the Janaushadhi Sugam mobile application offers a digital platform for the public, enabling users to locate nearby Jan Aushadhi Kendras, search for Jan Aushadhi medicines, and compare generic versus branded medicines in terms of MRP savings.