Union Budget 2026: Govt to overhaul drug regulator CDSCO, announces Rs 10,000 crore ‘Biopharma Shakti’ push

Union Budget 2026: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today announced significant measures to strengthen India’s drug regulatory authority- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) with an aim to speed up approval timeframes, enhance regulatory oversight and align with global standards.

“We propose to strengthen the central drug standard control organization to meet global standards and improve time frames,” said the Finance minister while announcing the Union budget 2026

A new initiative with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore over five years was announced to boost research, manufacturing, and innovation in the biopharmaceutical sector.



“I propose the biopharma Shakti with an outlay of 10,000 crores over the next five years, this will build the ecosystem for domestic production of biologics and biosimilars,” she said.

The strategy includes a network of 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites and the upgrading of existing National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs).