Budget 2025: FM announces full custom duty exemption for 36-life saving drugs; full list of medicines here

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her eighth consecutive Union Budget presentation on Saturday, announced significant relief measures for patients battling cancer, rare diseases, and other chronic ailments. She proposed to fully exempt customs duty on 36 life-saving drugs, expanding the government’s efforts to make critical treatments more affordable for patients.

"To provide relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, rare diseases, and other severe chronic diseases, I propose to add 36 life-saving drugs and medicines to the list of those fully exempted from Basic Customs Duty (BCD)," Sitharaman said during her Budget 2025 address.

The list includes crucial medications such as Onasemnogene abeparvovec, Daratumumab, Atezolizumab, Risdiplam, and Velaglucerase Alpha, among others. These drugs cater to conditions ranging from cancer to rare genetic disorders and severe chronic illnesses.

Additional Measures

In addition to the full exemption, Sitharaman proposed to include six more life-saving medicines under a concessional customs duty rate of 5%. Furthermore, bulk drugs used in the manufacturing of these medicines will also benefit from these exemptions and concessions, ensuring a reduction in production costs for pharmaceutical companies.

Addressing the importance of patient assistance programmes, the finance minister announced the inclusion of 37 new medicines and 13 patient assistance initiatives under schemes that already allow full exemption from customs duty for medicines supplied free of cost to patients.

Full List of Exempted Medicines

The 36 life-saving drugs exempted from Basic Customs Duty include:

1. Onasemnogene abeparvovec
2. Asciminib
3. Mepolizumab
4. Pegylated Liposomal Irinotecan
5. Daratumumab
6. Daratumumab (subcutaneous)
7. Teclistamab
8. Amivantamab
9. Alectinib
10. Risdiplam
11. Obinutuzumab
12. Polatuzumab vedotin
13. Entrectinib
14. Atezolizumab
15. Spesolimab
16. Velaglucerase Alpha
17. Agalsidase Alfa
18. Rurioctocog Alpha Pegol
19. Idursulphatase
20. Alglucosidase Alfa
21. Laronidase
22. Olipudase Alfa
23. Tepotinib
24. Avelumab
25. Emicizumab
26. Belumosudil
27. Miglustat
28. Velmanase Alfa
29. Alirocumab
30. Evolocumab
31. Cystamine Bitartrate
32. CI-Inhibitor injection
33. Inclisiran
34. Agalsidase Beta
35. Imiglucerase
36. Eptacog Alfa (activated recombinant coagulation factor VIIa)