Budget-Friendly Medicines for All: 15,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras Established

The government has successfully met its target of establishing 15,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) two months ahead of the March 2025 deadline. As of February 28, a total of 15,057 JAKs are operational across the country, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers J P Nadda informed Parliament on Friday, March 28.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Nadda stated that the government had set a target to open 15,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country by March 31, 2025, which was achieved in January 2025. He further informed that as of February 28, a total of 15,057 JAKs have been opened across the country.

The government has now set a new goal to expand the JAK network to 20,000 stores by March 2026 and 25,000 by March 2027. The scheme currently offers 2,047 formulations and 300 surgical products, covering essential therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, diabetes, anti-infectives, oncology, and gastrointestinal care. These products are priced 50 to 80 percent lower than their branded counterparts and are sold at fixed MRPs without additional discounts. By March 2025, the scheme aims to expand its product basket to 2,100 medicines and 310 surgical and medical consumables.

To ensure efficient distribution, a centralized IT-enabled system supports one central warehouse in Gurugram and four regional hubs in Bengaluru, Chennai, Surat, and Guwahati. A network of 36 distributors and an incentive-linked stocking system ensures the continuous availability of essential medicines. The sale of medicines under the scheme has witnessed significant growth, with medicines worth ₹1,767.18 crore sold in the financial year 2024-25 till February 28, marking a 33 percent increase from ₹1,327 crore in the previous year.

Over the past decade, medicines worth ₹6,975 crore in MRP terms have been sold through JAKs, resulting in estimated savings of about ₹30,000 crore for citizens compared to branded medicine prices. On average, 10 to 12 lakh people visit JAKs daily to access affordable and quality medicines. The government has adopted a franchise-based model to facilitate the opening of JAKs, inviting applications from individuals, NGOs, societies, trusts, firms, and private companies. To ensure accessibility, a minimum distance of one kilometer is usually maintained between two JAKs.

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