India’s Department of Pharmaceuticals has constituted a three-member committee to review the rules governing pharmaceutical marketing and recommend stronger measures to prevent unethical industry practices. The panel is chaired by M. Srinivas, Member of NITI Aayog, with former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Medanta Chairman and Managing Director Naresh Trehan as members. The government announced the move on October 23, 2026, giving the committee a mandate to examine existing oversight mechanisms and recommend improvements.
The review focuses on how pharmaceutical companies promote medicines and interact with healthcare professionals, particularly concerns about gifts, sponsored travel, hospitality and other benefits that could influence prescribing decisions. The committee will examine the effectiveness of the existing Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) and consider whether regulatory, statutory or other legal measures are necessary. Its recommendations are due within two months of its first meeting, following consultations with relevant stakeholders.
Key Takeaways
- Three-member committee: The panel is chaired by NITI Aayog member M. Srinivas, alongside Preeti Sudan and Naresh Trehan.
- Existing rules under review: The committee will examine the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, including its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
- Focus on unethical promotion: The review covers gifts, hospitality, sponsored travel and other incentives that could influence doctors’ prescribing decisions.
- Possible legal changes: The panel will assess whether stronger regulatory or statutory measures are needed.
- Two-month deadline: Recommendations must be submitted within two months of the committee’s first meeting.
- No immediate rule change: The government has not announced new penalties or restrictions as part of the committee’s formation.
Who Is on the Government’s Pharma Marketing Review Committee?
The Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has appointed three members to lead the review.
| Committee member | Position | Role in the panel |
|---|---|---|
| M. Srinivas | Member, NITI Aayog | Chairperson |
| Preeti Sudan | Former Union Health Secretary | Member |
| Naresh Trehan | Chairman and Managing Director, Medanta | Member |
The committee will conduct a comprehensive review of issues relating to unethical pharmaceutical marketing. Its work includes consulting technical and professional experts, healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical industry representatives and other relevant stakeholders.
According to the government’s announcement, the panel must examine the existing framework and recommend measures to improve transparency, accountability, monitoring and compliance. It can also address other relevant issues connected with curbing unethical practices in pharmaceutical marketing.
The deadline begins from the committee’s first meeting, rather than automatically from the date of its announcement. The government has not yet announced a final set of reforms.
Why Is the Government Reviewing Pharma Marketing Rules?
Pharmaceutical companies promote medicines through product information, scientific engagement, medical conferences and interactions with doctors. These activities can help healthcare professionals understand available treatments, but concerns arise when promotional benefits risk influencing clinical decisions.
Examples of potentially problematic practices include expensive gifts, sponsored leisure travel, hospitality and monetary benefits offered to healthcare professionals. Critics argue that such incentives can create conflicts of interest, encouraging prescriptions based on commercial relationships rather than solely on a patient’s medical needs.
The issue has been the subject of legal and policy debate in India. The Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India (FMRAI) has sought a stronger, legally enforceable framework for pharmaceutical marketing, arguing that existing arrangements do not provide sufficiently effective consequences for companies that breach ethical standards.
The Supreme Court addressed the issue in October 2026, directing the Centre to establish a committee to examine the regulatory framework and recommend appropriate measures. The government’s new panel follows that direction.
The underlying concern extends beyond industry conduct. Prescribing decisions affect patient safety, treatment choices and healthcare spending. A framework that improves transparency and reduces conflicts of interest could help strengthen public confidence in the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals.
What Is the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices?
The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices is India’s framework for setting ethical standards for pharmaceutical promotion and interactions with healthcare professionals.
The original UCPMP was introduced in 2015. The government subsequently notified UCPMP 2024 on March 12, 2024, replacing the earlier version and strengthening the framework for implementation. The code was further amended in September 2025.
The current framework covers promotional activities and interactions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals or healthcare organisations. It seeks to ensure that medicine promotion is responsible and transparent, while discouraging gifts, monetary benefits and inappropriate hospitality.
The government operates a dedicated UCPMP 2024 portal that provides information about the code and complaint-handling arrangements. Pharmaceutical associations are expected to maintain ethics committees and complaint procedures, with an appellate mechanism at the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
However, critics have questioned whether an industry-led implementation system can provide sufficiently strong accountability, particularly when violations are alleged against pharmaceutical companies themselves. The new committee will assess the effectiveness of existing oversight and enforcement arrangements rather than assuming that the current framework is adequate.
What Could Change Under the New Review?
The committee has been asked to examine the need for stronger monitoring and regulatory measures and to recommend an appropriate legal framework where necessary.
| Area under review | What the committee may examine |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | Whether existing systems can detect unethical promotional activities effectively |
| Enforcement | Whether complaints lead to timely, consistent and meaningful action |
| Transparency | Whether marketing-related disclosures and compliance reporting are sufficient |
| Accountability | Whether pharmaceutical companies face appropriate consequences for violations |
| Legal framework | Whether additional regulatory or statutory measures are needed |
| Stakeholder consultation | How concerns from doctors, industry representatives, experts and other groups should be addressed |
These are areas the panel is mandated to examine, not confirmed policy changes. The government has not yet specified which recommendations it will accept or whether it will introduce statutory penalties.
A stronger legal framework could potentially clarify responsibilities, improve the handling of complaints and establish more enforceable consequences for misconduct. Any such measures would require further government action after the committee submits its recommendations.
What the Review Means for Pharmaceutical Companies
Pharmaceutical companies could face tighter compliance expectations if the government adopts stronger rules following the review. Businesses may need to examine how they document promotional spending, support medical conferences, provide educational assistance and interact with healthcare professionals.
Clearer requirements could also make it easier for companies to distinguish legitimate scientific engagement from activities that create conflicts of interest. Transparent records and effective internal compliance systems would be important if monitoring and disclosure requirements become more demanding.
The potential impact will depend on the committee’s recommendations and the government’s response. Until new measures are formally introduced, companies should continue to comply with the existing UCPMP framework and applicable laws.
For the wider pharmaceutical industry, the review could also influence how companies structure their relationships with doctors, medical associations and healthcare institutions. Greater clarity may help reduce uncertainty about acceptable promotional practices while improving accountability across the sector.
What It Could Mean for Doctors and Patients
For healthcare professionals, the review could lead to clearer expectations around interactions with pharmaceutical companies and the acceptance of promotional benefits. Stronger safeguards could help doctors maintain independence in prescribing decisions and reduce the risk of perceived or actual conflicts of interest.
Patients may benefit if treatment choices are less vulnerable to inappropriate commercial influence. Medicine selection should be based on clinical evidence, patient needs, safety, effectiveness and cost—not on gifts or other benefits received by a prescriber.
The committee’s work does not itself change how doctors must prescribe medicines today. Its recommendations may, however, influence future rules governing professional conduct, pharmaceutical promotion and complaint resolution.
The Bigger Picture
India’s pharmaceutical marketing review comes amid broader efforts to strengthen accountability in a sector where commercial decisions can directly affect public health. The central question is whether the existing combination of ethical standards, industry oversight and complaint mechanisms can prevent misconduct effectively—or whether additional legal powers are required.
The outcome will depend on the committee’s assessment and the government’s willingness to implement its recommendations. Stronger rules could improve transparency and discourage improper incentives, but their effectiveness will ultimately depend on clear standards, credible monitoring, timely investigations and consistent enforcement.
FAQs
1. Why has the government formed a committee to review pharma marketing rules?
The government wants to examine whether India’s existing framework adequately prevents unethical pharmaceutical promotion and whether stronger monitoring, enforcement or legal measures are needed.
2. Who will chair the committee?
M. Srinivas, a member of NITI Aayog, will chair the committee. Former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Medanta Chairman and Managing Director Naresh Trehan are the other members.
3. What is the UCPMP 2024?
The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices 2024 is India’s current code governing ethical pharmaceutical promotion and interactions between drug companies and healthcare professionals. It replaced the 2015 version and was amended in September 2025.
4. Will pharmaceutical companies face new penalties immediately?
No new penalties have been announced with the committee’s formation. The panel will examine whether additional regulatory, statutory or other legal measures are necessary, after which the government will decide what action to take.
5. When will the committee submit its recommendations?
The committee must submit its recommendations within two months of its first meeting, following the required consultation process.
Looking Ahead
The committee’s first meeting and subsequent consultations will determine the pace of the review. Pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals and industry associations will be watching for recommendations on disclosure requirements, complaint handling, monitoring and the possible introduction of stronger legal consequences for violations.
The decisive step will come after the report reaches the Department of Pharmaceuticals. If the government adopts enforceable reforms, the changes could reshape how pharmaceutical companies market medicines and engage with doctors in India. Until then, the existing UCPMP framework remains in operation, and the precise scope of future changes is still uncertain.
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