India’s Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA) will request that its government allow drug makers to switch product lines without applying for a new licence.

At present, it is mandatory for drug manufacturers to apply for a fresh licence each time they want to change formulations.

BDMA President M Narayana Reddy said that customers were switching to new drugs with extra features in a very short period, but official demands were resulting in a loss of time for firms.

“Change in a formulation will not increase the pollution load of a company,” said Reddy.

“Many bulk drug manufacturers are small-scale industries and it is not viable for them to adopt new processes continuously.”