SHRESTH Index Introduced by Union Health Ministry: Landmark Step Ensuring Drug Safety Nation-wide
PharmaGenDRx News Bureau-19th August,2025
10:00 AM IST
In a recent press release, the Ministry of Health and Welfare launched the SHRESTH (State Health Regulatory Excellence) Index, a first-of-its-kind framework designed to benchmark and strengthen state level drug regulatory systems. The initiative was unveiled virtually by Union Health Secretary Ms. Punya Salia Srivastava in the presence of Drug Controller General of India, Dr. Rajeev Singh Suryavanshi.
The SHRESTH Index provides a transparent and data-driven mechanism for states and union territories to assess their regulatory capacity. By measuring performance across well-defined parameters, the index enables regulators to identify gaps, build capacities and progressively achieve maturity standards. States engaged in manufacturing will be evaluated on 27 indices across five themes while distribution based states will be assessed on 23 indices.
At the launch event the health secretary highlighted the importance of collaboration and transparency between centre and state, ensuring that India’s pharmaceutical regulatory framework remains globally credible and nationally consistent was also underscored at the launch event.
This initiative will be a significant boost in reinforcing India’s position as the “Pharmacy of the World” by providing reliable, safe access to medicines for every citizen across the country.
By Arundhuti Chatterjee and Sharon Bose
