Indian President backs affordable drugs

The Indian government is committed to increasing spending on its infrastructure, including that related to overall health care, and is  also determined to keep a check on the prices of medicines, the nation's  President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil, has told Parliament. The total will  rise to 9% of Gross Domestic Product, with some 140.0 billion rupees  ($2.99 billion) going to investment to revive some public sector  companies, she said.

Speaking to a joint session of parliamentarians earlier this month,  President Patil noted that drugs and pharmaceuticals play an important  role in India's health care.

Manufacturing undertakings