New Delhi, April 4 -- A government push to divert petrochemical feedstocks for domestic LPG (liquified petroleum gas) supply-in the wake of a cooking gas supply squeeze from the West Asia war-triggered a near-crisis in India's pharmaceutical sector last month.

The move choked the production of a key solvent-isopropyl alcohol or IPA-used in essential medicines and life-saving drugs, and forced top drugmakers to warn of disruptions to medicine supplies, according to documents reviewed by Mint and three people familiar with the matter.

According to industry stakeholders, the crisis has been averted after the Centre stepped in on 1 April with emergency measures, allowing the reallocation of a 'certain minimum' quantum of critical refinery i...