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 The Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs), the low cost generic medicine stores under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), has registered a 37.44 per cent growth in the fiscal year 2024-25, as compared to the previous fiscal year.
The JAKs have registered sales at Maximum Retail Price (MRP) value of Rs. 2,022.47 crore during FY25, as compared to Rs. 1,471.50 crore during the same period of previous year. The sales during FY24 was up 19 per cent from Rs. 1,236.64 crore during FY23, according to data from the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers.
Across the country, total sales of Rs. 4,730.61 crore MRP value have been made under PMBJP during the last three financial years, it added.
The budget utilised for the scheme during FY25 witnessed a significant growth of 66.11 per cent at Rs. 182.73 crore, as compared to Rs. 110 crore utilised in FY24. The budget utilisation of FY24 was a 10% growth compared to Rs. 100 crore utilisation reported in FY23.
However, while for both FY23 and FY24, the Department used the entire budget allocated for the Scheme, in FY25, the budget utilisation was only 64 per cent of the allocated Rs. 284.50 crore.
Minister of state in the Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, Anupriya Patel, informed the Lok Sabha earlier this month that under PMBJP, a total of 16,912 JAKs have been opened till June 30, 2025 across the country, of which 7,737 JAKs have been opened during the last three financial years.
The government has decided to increase the number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras opened to 25,000 by March 31, 2027.
The government launched the scheme to make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all. Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as JAKs are opened across the country to provide medicines at rates that are about 50 per cent to 80 per cent cheaper than those of branded medicines.
The Minister said that 2,110 medicines and 315 surgicals, medical consumables and devices are under the scheme product basket, covering all major therapeutic groups, such as cardiovascular, anti-cancers, anti-diabetic, anti-infectives, anti-allergic and gastro-intestinal medicines and nutraceuticals.
All JAK owners are eligible for incentive at the rate of 20 per cent of the monthly purchases made by them, subject to a monthly ceiling of Rs. 20,000 and meeting certain conditions such as maintaining stock of specified medicines. In addition, a one-time incentive of Rs. 2 lakh is provided to outlets opened in the North-Eastern States, Himalayan areas, Island territories and aspirational districts or those opened by women entrepreneurs, ex-servicemen, divyangjan and members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as support towards furniture, computers, refrigerators and other fixtures.
Any individual having D. Pharma or B. Pharma qualification either herself/himself or any individual or organisation who has employed a person with such qualification as a pharmacist for obtaining drug licence from the State Licensing Authority concerned is eligible to open a JAK.
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