Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda today inaugurated AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) Pharmacy’s 10th Anniversary Celebrations at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.  The event marked a significant milestone in affordable medicine access and recognized the public sector’s continuing commitment to universal health coverage.

Since their inception in 2015, AMRIT pharmacies have been instrumental in providing life-saving and essential medicines at discounts ranging from 50% to 90%, substantially bringing down treatment costs for patients, especially those from low-income backgrounds.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Nadda congratulated HLL Lifecare Ltd. for its consistent and high-quality efforts in implementing AMRIT. He recalled that in 2014, under the leadership of Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the government resolved to make healthcare accessible, affordable, and equitable for all citizens. It was with this vision that Jan Aushadhi and AMRIT were conceived—both designed to deliver medicines and medical supplies at affordable rates.

Shri Nadda highlighted that AMRIT has grown into a robust national network, with over 255 pharmacies currently operational, with a vision to expand this network to 500 outlets across the country. He also emphasized that, while every AIIMS in the country today has an AMRIT pharmacy, the next challenge is to ensure that every medical college and every district Hospital in India is equipped with AMRIT pharmacy, so that affordable medicines reach citizens at every level of the healthcare system.

Highlighting the achievements of AMRIT pharmacy, he stated that, offering 50 percent discounts on branded medicines is a significant achievement benefiting more than 6.85 crore patients and reiterated that medicines worth over ₹17,000 at MRP have been dispensed so far, resulting in cumulative savings of approximately ₹8,500 crore for patients.

He also underscored the importance of increasing public awareness about AMRIT pharmacies. He stated that more citizens must be informed about the benefits and availability of AMRIT outlets so they can actively seek and utilize the affordable services offered.

Speaking at the occasion, Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, highlighted that the AMRIT initiative was launched under the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and under the guidance of Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda, with the core objective of ensuring affordable, accessible and equitable access to quality medicines for every citizen.

Appreciating the commitment of HLL Lifecare Limited and the AMRIT Pharmacy network, she also stated that the “HLL family and the AMRIT pharmacy network have assured that they will continue to expand the network, improve systems, and further strengthen operations with Josh, Junoon and Jazbaat—energy, enthusiasm and spirit.”

Delivering the vote of thanks, Ms. Anitha Thampi expressed deep gratitude to Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda for his visionary leadership and steadfast support to the AMRIT initiative. She also acknowledged the continuous guidance of senior officials of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Health Secretaries whose collaboration has been vital in driving AMRIT’s growth over the last decade. She appreciated the tireless dedication of the HLL and AMRIT teams, whose commitment on the ground has ensured that affordable medicines to all the citizen.

During the event, Shri JP Nadda also inaugurated 10 new AMRIT outlets across India, marking a significant step toward enhancing affordable access to essential medicines and medical supplies for patients nationwide. He also launched AMRIT ITes – Eco Green Version 2.0, an upgraded and environmentally sustainable digital platform that will streamline operations, enhance transparency, and improve efficiency across the AMRIT network. The event also featured the release of Customised My Stamp in association with India Post.

A Coffee Table Book capturing AMRIT’s decade-long milestones, success stories, and impact on healthcare accessibility was released during the event. In addition, a Mobile Pharmacy Van for rural outreach in the NCR region was flagged off, enabling doorstep delivery of affordable medicines to underserved and remote communities. Furthermore, to strengthening citizen interface, a 24x7 National Contact Centre was inaugurated to offer real-time assistance on medicine availability, pricing, and the nearest AMRIT pharmacy locations.

Background

HLL Lifecare Limited, the implementing agency of AMRIT, is a Mini Ratna Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Through its diverse portfolio spanning contraceptives, hospital products, medical devices, and services including diagnostic services under the brand Hindlabs, retail business under AMRIT, HLL Pharmacy, HLL Optical, infrastructure development, procurement services and consultancy, HLL serves as a comprehensive healthcare solutions provider. The organization operates 7 state-of-the-art factories, 5 subsidiaries and a corporate R&D centre, driving innovation in India's healthcare sector.

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