Are Jan Aushadhi medicines generic medicines?

Yes. A Jan Aushadhi medicine is sold under the name of its salts rather than a brand, which is what a generic medicine is, and the government's own announcements call them generic medicines. Each one has the same active salts, at the same strength, in the same dosage form as the branded medicines it replaces.

Is a generic medicine lower quality than a branded one?

Not because it is generic. Quality comes from how a medicine is made and tested, not from the name on the box. Jan Aushadhi medicines are bought only from WHO-GMP certified suppliers, and every batch is tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory before it is sold.

How do I find the generic version of my medicine?

Search the brand name on your strip or prescription at savewithjanaushadhi.com. The page shows the Jan Aushadhi medicine with the same composition, the price per tablet of both, and the nearest Jan Aushadhi Kendra that sells it.

How much do generic medicines save compared with brands?

Across 192,060 branded medicines matched to a Jan Aushadhi equivalent in September 2026, the median saving was 72% per unit, and half of all matches saved between 61% and 80%.

Are Jan Aushadhi medicines generic? What the word actually means

3 min read · updated 26 September 2026

Yes. A Jan Aushadhi medicine is a generic medicine: it is sold under the name of its salts - "Telmisartan Tablets IP 40 mg" - rather than a brand name, and it contains the same active salts, at the same strength, in the same dosage form as the brands it replaces. The government's own announcements describe the scheme's products as generic medicines.

What "generic" means, and what it does not

A medicine has two names: the salt that does the work (paracetamol, metformin, telmisartan) and, if a company chooses, a brand it sells that salt under. "Generic" only means the medicine is sold under the first name. It says nothing about who made it or how well.

What decides quality is how a medicine is made and tested. Jan Aushadhi medicines are bought only from suppliers certified for WHO Good Manufacturing Practices, and every batch is tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory before it reaches a Kendra.

Why generic medicines cost less

Not because less goes into the tablet. A branded strip also pays for a sales force that visits doctors, the stockist's and the retailer's margins, advertising and profit; the scheme buys in bulk for the whole country and carries almost none of that. Why Jan Aushadhi medicines cost less goes through it line by line.

Measured on this site's catalogue in September 2026: a median of 72% less per tablet across 192,060 matched medicines, with half of all matches saving between 61% and 80%. The price index is updated every month.

How to find the generic version of your medicine

Search the name printed on your strip or prescription.
The page shows the Jan Aushadhi medicine with the same composition, and the price per tablet of both.
Find the nearest Kendra that sells it.

Take only what your doctor prescribed. If you want to switch, show the page to your doctor or pharmacist first - they can confirm the composition matches in seconds.

Sources: WHO-GMP and NABL testing, Press Information Bureau, 25 March 2025; "generic medicines", Press Information Bureau, 27 August 2019; savings, this site's Jan Aushadhi Price Index.

Common questions

Are Jan Aushadhi medicines generic medicines?: Yes. A Jan Aushadhi medicine is sold under the name of its salts rather than a brand, which is what a generic medicine is, and the government's own announcements call them generic medicines. Each one has the same active salts, at the same strength, in the same dosage form as the branded medicines it replaces.
Is a generic medicine lower quality than a branded one?: Not because it is generic. Quality comes from how a medicine is made and tested, not from the name on the box. Jan Aushadhi medicines are bought only from WHO-GMP certified suppliers, and every batch is tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory before it is sold.
How do I find the generic version of my medicine?: Search the brand name on your strip or prescription at savewithjanaushadhi.com. The page shows the Jan Aushadhi medicine with the same composition, the price per tablet of both, and the nearest Jan Aushadhi Kendra that sells it.
How much do generic medicines save compared with brands?: Across 192,060 branded medicines matched to a Jan Aushadhi equivalent in September 2026, the median saving was 72% per unit, and half of all matches saved between 61% and 80%.

This is general information about medicine pricing, not medical advice. Never stop, start or switch a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.