Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)

What is Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana?

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, that makes quality-assured generic medicines available at sharply lower prices through dedicated retail outlets called Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendra (PMBJK), commonly known as Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

According to the PMBJP guidelines issued by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), the idea was cleared by the Pharma Advisory Forum on 23 April 2008, with the aim of opening at least one Kendra in each of the country's 785 districts and extending to sub-divisional levels, major towns and village centres. PMBI, set up in December 2008 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals and registered as an independent society in April 2010, is the implementation agency.

The core logic of PMBJP is simple. Branded generic medicines are frequently sold at far higher prices than unbranded generics with identical therapeutic value. By procuring directly from WHO-GMP compliant manufacturers and selling through Kendras, PMBJP removes that mark-up.

Key objectives

• Make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices for everyone.
• Market generic drugs through the Jan Aushadhi Kendra network.
• Procure medicines from central pharma PSUs and private manufacturers.
• Monitor the proper functioning of Kendras.

Main features

• Maximum retail prices of PMBJP medicines are generally 50-80% lower than comparable branded medicines.
• The product basket covers 2,110 medicines and 315 surgical items, consumables and devices across 29 therapeutic categories, including anti-infectives, anti-diabetics, cardiovascular, anti-cancer and gastrointestinal medicines.
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals reported 17,610 Kendras open as on 30 November 2025, and the network had grown to about 19,500 operational Kendras by April 2026. The government's target is 25,000 Kendras by March 2027.
• Roughly 10 to 12 lakh people visit Jan Aushadhi Kendras every day.
• Jan Aushadhi Suvidha oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins are sold at Rs 1 per pad.

Who is eligible for Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana?

PMBJP has two very different audiences: patients who buy medicines, and entrepreneurs who run a Kendra.

Any patient can buy from a Jan Aushadhi Kendra. There is no income test, no registration and no card. Anyone can walk into a Kendra with or without a prescription and buy the medicines stocked there at the printed Jan Aushadhi price.

You can apply to open a Jan Aushadhi Kendra if:

• You hold a D.Pharma or B.Pharma degree, or you employ a D.Pharma/B.Pharma degree holder and can produce proof at application or at final approval.
• You are an individual entrepreneur, pharmacist, trust, society, charitable organisation, NGO, firm, private company or a government-nominated agency.
• You have at least 120 sq ft of own or hired space with a valid lease agreement or allotment letter.
• Your proposed location observes the 1 km distance policy from an existing Kendra.
• You can arrange the drug licence in the name of the Kendra and comply with all statutory storage requirements.

You cannot apply if:

• You are an individual or proprietor without an Aadhaar card - such applications are rejected outright as per the PMBI guidelines.
• You cannot produce a pharmacist registration certificate for yourself or a hired pharmacist.
• Your proposed premises fall within 1 km of an existing Kendra, other than the 500-metre exemption zone around district government hospitals, private hospitals with 100 or more beds and hospitals attached to medical colleges.
• You intend to sublet or share the premises - the space must be used solely for the Kendra.
• You or a relative have already drawn the Rs 2 lakh special incentive. Under the One Family-One Grant rule, the special incentive is granted once per family, where "relative" covers husband, wife, unmarried dependent brother or sister, and any lineal ascendant or descendant.

What documents are required for a Jan Aushadhi Kendra application?

How to apply for a Jan Aushadhi Kendra online

1. Visit the official PMBI portal at janaushadhi.gov.in and open the section for applying for a new Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
2. Register with your mobile number and email, then select your applicant category - individual, entrepreneur, pharmacist, NGO, trust, society, charitable institution, hospital or government-nominated agency.
3. Select your special-category status if you are a woman entrepreneur, Divyangjan, SC, ST or ex-serviceman, or are applying from an aspirational district, Himalayan state, island territory or North-Eastern state. This choice cannot be changed later.
4. Fill in personal, business and proposed-location details, and confirm the proposed site complies with the 1 km distance policy.
5. Upload the self-attested documents listed above, including the pharmacist registration certificate, ITRs, bank statement and space proof.
6. Pay the Rs 5,000 non-refundable application fee through the online payment gateway. Special-category applicants are exempt on submitting category proof.
7. Submit the application and note the registration number generated. PMBI examines the viability of the proposed location before issuing an in-principle approval.
8. After in-principle approval, obtain the drug licence in the name of the Kendra, sign the agreement with PMBI, submit the three cheques and one cancelled cheque, and begin operations using PMBI's PoS software.

How to buy medicines at a Jan Aushadhi Kendra

1. Locate your nearest Kendra using the store locator on janaushadhi.gov.in or the Jan Aushadhi Sugam mobile app.
2. Carry your doctor's prescription, and ask the pharmacist for the generic equivalent of any branded medicine prescribed.
3. Pay the printed Jan Aushadhi MRP and collect the bill generated on PMBI's software - all billing at a Kendra must be done through this system.

How much benefit does PMBJP provide?

For patients, the benefit is the price gap. The Department of Pharmaceuticals states that the MRPs of PMBJP medicines are generally 50-80% lower than comparable branded medicines. Total sales of Rs 6,290.23 crore at MRP value were recorded under the scheme over the five financial years up to 2024-25.

For a Kendra owner, the benefit has three parts:

• Operating margin of 20% on the MRP of each drug, excluding taxes.
• Monthly incentive of 20% of purchases made from PMBI, capped at Rs 20,000 per month. Half of this (up to Rs 10,000) is auto-calculated on purchases and half (up to Rs 10,000) depends on the stocking mandate.
• One-time special incentive of Rs 2 lakh for eligible categories - Rs 1.50 lakh for furniture and fixtures and Rs 0.50 lakh for computer, internet and printer, reimbursed against original bills up to actual expenditure.

The stocking mandate decides how much of the second half is paid: a product range of 180-200 earns 100% payment, 150-179 earns 80%, 100-149 earns 50%, and a range below 100 products earns nothing.

What are the operating rules for a Jan Aushadhi Kendra?

According to the PMBI guidelines, a Kendra operator must sign an agreement before starting operations and must obtain the drug licence in the Kendra's name. All billing must run on PMBI's software, and no medicine may be sold without it. The premises cannot be transferred or sublet.

On payments, 50% advance against the proforma invoice value is due within three days before goods are dispatched, and the balance must reach PMBI within 30 days. A proforma invoice is cancelled if the 50% advance is not received in three days. If a Kendra runs regular overdues three times in six months, further stock is supplied only against 100% advance payment.

Kendra operators are allowed to sell allied medical products commonly sold in chemist shops that PMBI does not supply.

Where to get help with PMBJP

• PMBI office: Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India, B-500, Tower B, 5th Floor, World Trade Center, Nauroji Nagar, New Delhi - 110029.
• Telephone: 011-49431800.
• Portal: janaushadhi.gov.in for applications, store locator and the product list.
• Jan Aushadhi Sugam app for finding Kendras and checking medicine prices.

No agent or middleman can promise you a Jan Aushadhi Kendra. The only route is the online application on janaushadhi.gov.in, and the only fee is the Rs 5,000 application fee paid through the portal's payment gateway.