Budget reaction: Saransh Chaudhary, President, Global Critical Care, Venus Remedies Ltd and CEO, Venus Medicine Research Centre

The Central government’s decision to exempt three more cancer medicines from customs duty is a commendable step towards making cancer drugs more affordable. It will also make oncology exports more competitive and incentivise manufacturers by reducing their costs. We also welcome the Finance Minister’s announcement to include manufacturing & services and innovation, research & development among the nine priority areas identified by the government to ensure fast-paced growth in line with its vision of “Viksit Bharat”. Pharma manufacturing being India’s strength, we expect the government to build on it with its incentive-based approach. A renewed focus on innovation and R&D, on the other hand, will transform India into a value-driven economy, unleashing its immense potential wealth creation potential.