India strengthens Indo-Pacific supply chains, leads Pharma APT, and proposes SCC meet to enhance resilience.
India participated as Vice Chair in the 2nd Supply Chain Council (SCC) meeting under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). Represented by Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, India reaffirmed its commitment to building resilient supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region, which accounts for 40% of global GDP.
The SCC, chaired by the United States, reviewed progress across key sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals, chemicals, and healthcare. India emphasised the healthcare/pharmaceutical sector’s critical role in achieving resilient supply chains, highlighting efforts to reduce import dependency on APIs and medical devices through Action Plan Teams (APT).
India, Chair of the Pharma/Healthcare APT, collaborates with Thailand, Singapore, and New Zealand to strengthen domestic manufacturing via technology transfer, technical know-how, and workforce upskilling. India’s leadership in global health, including the world’s first DNA COVID-19 vaccine, underscores its prominence as the world’s 3rd largest pharmaceutical producer by volume.
Other updates included progress on cold chain logistics standards, data analytics, and a Crisis Response Network to enhance regulatory transparency and supply chain monitoring. India proposed hosting the next in-person SCC meeting early next year to accelerate outcomes.
Established in November 2023 under the IPEF, the SCC is a key initiative for ensuring supply chain resilience critical to national security, economic stability, and public health across its 14-member framework.
