**Executive Summary**
This report details the expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme, which aims to provide quality generic medicines at 50% to 80% lower costs than branded alternatives. As of February 28, 2026, 18,646 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) are operational, with a government target to increase this number to 25,000 by March 2027. Key focus areas include financial incentives for kendra owners and rigorous quality control protocols to ensure the safety and efficacy of affordable medicines.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Expansion and Cost Savings**
* **Network Growth:** The government aims to establish 25,000 JAKs across India by March 2027, expanding from the current 18,646 outlets.
* **Affordability:** Medicines at JAKs are priced 50% to 80% lower than branded equivalents.
* **Economic Impact:** The scheme has resulted in total savings of ₹40,000 crores in "Out-of-Pocket Expenditure" for citizens over the last 11 years.
**Incentives for JAK Owners**
* **Monthly Incentives:** Owners receive a 10% incentive on monthly purchases from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), capped at ₹10,000 per month.
* **Stocking Rewards:** An additional incentive of up to ₹10,000 per month is provided for maintaining a stock of 200 specific high-demand products.
* **Special One-time Incentives:** A ₹2 lakh grant is available for setting up JAKs in North-Eastern States, Himalayan areas, island territories, and Aspirational Districts, or for owners from eligible categories including women, SC/ST, ex-servicemen, and divyangjan.
**Quality Assurance Mechanisms**
* **Certified Sourcing:** Medicines are sourced exclusively from plants certified as WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant by the CDSCO.
* **Mandatory Testing:** 100% of medicine batches undergo anonymous pre-testing at PMBI warehouses; products are only dispatched to JAKs after passing quality tests.
* **Laboratory Standards:** Testing is conducted only at NABL-accredited laboratories that comply with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and undergo PMBI assessment.
**Impact Analysis**
**General Public / Patients**
**Impact**
Benefit from significantly reduced healthcare costs and improved access to quality-tested generic medicines through a growing nationwide network of pharmacies.
**Action Required**
Utilize Jan Aushadhi Kendras to purchase affordable medicines to reduce personal medical expenditures.
**Jan Aushadhi Kendra (JAK) Owners and Entrepreneurs**
**Impact**
Eligible for various financial incentives, including monthly purchase-based rewards and special one-time setup grants for specific regions or social categories.
**Action Required**
Maintain the requisite stock of 200 high-demand products and adhere to PMBI procurement and quality guidelines to remain eligible for incentives.
**Pharmaceutical Manufacturers**
**Impact**
Supply opportunities are restricted to those who meet stringent WHO-GMP certification and CDSCO inspection standards.
**Action Required**
Ensure manufacturing plants maintain WHO-GMP compliance and that every batch meets quality standards to pass the 100% pre-testing requirement.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP): The central government scheme launched to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices to citizens.
Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs): Dedicated retail outlets established under the PMBJP to provide medicines at significantly lower rates than branded alternatives.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI): The implementing agency responsible for procurement, quality testing, and distributing incentives to Jan Aushadhi Kendra owners.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO): The regulatory body that inspects and certifies manufacturing plants as WHO-GMP compliant for supplying medicines to the scheme.
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL): The accreditation body for laboratories that conduct quality testing on medicine batches before they are dispatched for supply.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers :
Department of Pharmaceuticals
Expansion of PMBJKs to Reduce Healthcare
Costs
Posted On: 20 MAR 2026 3:04PM by PIB Delhi
The Government launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana scheme to make quality
generic medicines available at affordable prices to all. Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Jan
Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) are opened across the country to provide medicines at rates that are about 50%
to 80% cheaper than those of branded medicines. As of 28.02.2026, a total of 18,646 Jan Aushadhi
Kendras have been opened across the country under the scheme. With a view to augment the reach of
Janaushadhi scheme to the citizens, Government has set a target of increasing the number of JAKs opened
across the country to 25,000 by March 2027.
Under the scheme, incentive to JAK owners is given at a rate of 10% of monthly purchases of Janaushadhi
products purchased from Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), subject to a
ceiling of ₹10,000 per month. In addition, JAK owners are also provided incentive of up to ₹10,000 per
month for maintaining requisite stock of 200 high-demand products. Further, a one-time special incentive
of ₹2 lakh for setting up JAK is given for JAKs opened in the North-Eastern States, Himalayan areas,
island territories and backward areas notified as Aspirational Districts by NITI Aayog, and to those JAKs
that are opened by entrepreneurs of certain eligible categories, including ex-servicemen, women,
divyangjan and members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
With a view to ensure quality of medicines available at JAKs so that health of patients is not
compromised, concrete mechanisms have been put in place to ensure continuous inspection, testing and
standardisation, including the following:
i. Supply only from WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certified plants: Only plants
that are certified as WHO-GMP compliant by the Central Drugs Standard Control
Organisation (CDSCO) after direct inspection are eligible for supply.
ii. Distribution only after 100% pre-testing of all medicine batches: Samples are drawn from
100% of batches supplied at PMBI’s warehouses for testing anonymously, and medicines are
dispatched for supply to JAKs only after the quality test is passed.
iii. Testing only at labs compliant with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP): Samples are tested
only at labs accredited and periodically inspected by the National Accreditation Board for
Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and, in addition, assessed by PMBI for GLP
compliance.
During the past 11 years, total savings of ₹ 40,000 crores by way of reduced “Out-of-Pocket Expenditure”
on medicines on account of use of Janaushadhi Products.
This information was given by Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Smt. Anupriya Patel, in a
written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
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