Satish Reddy Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited
“The interim budget announced by the Finance Minister today envisions an India that is modern, innovative, resilient, with a strong focus on sustainability and empowerment as part of the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision. Its emphasis on ease of doing business and local manufacturing are welcome. In particular, the Rs. 1 lakh crore R&D allocation for sunrise sectors can potentially act as a catalyst in our innovation journey as the Indian pharma industry aims to reach USD 120-130 billion by 2030. Apart from innovation, there is clear and welcome impetus to green initiatives (such as the new scheme of bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry to transform the current consumptive manufacturing paradigm) as well as empowerment and inclusion (e.g., the cervical cancer vaccine to girls between 9 to 14 years, extension of the Ayushman Bharat scheme to ASHA and anganwadi workers, and women in STEM).”