In a major relief for cancer and rare disease patients, FM Sitharaman announced that 36 life saving drugs to be added in list of medicines fully exempted from basic duties. To provide relief to patients, especially those suffering from cancer and rare disease, I propose 36 life saving drugs in fully exempted custom duties, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2025 speech.
However, 6 life-saving medicines are to be added to the list attracting concessional custom duty of 5% duty. "To provide relief to patients, especially those suffering from cancer and rare diseases, I propose 36 life-saving drugs in fully exempted custom duties," Ms Sitharaman said while presenting her eighth consecutive Union Budget.The government reduced the GST rates and exempted three anti-cancer drugs—Trastuzumab, Osimertinib, and Durvalumab—from customs duties in the most recent budget.
India is the second-largest contributor to the disease burden in Asia, with around 12 lakh new cases and 9.3 lakh deaths from cancer in 2019, according to a Lancet study. According to the report, the figure increased to 13.9 lakh in 2020 and then to 14.2 lakh and 14.6 lakh in 2021 and 2022, respectively.