Bulk drug park to boost pharma industry

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 29

The proposed bulk drug park for the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) will give a major impetus to the pharmaceutical industry which was sailing through bad times after lapse of the Central industrial package.

This was the third such park to be announced by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in the nation after Andhra Pradesh and Ahmedabad.

“Since the bulk drug industry which produces active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) was dependent on China, the setting up of such bulk drug parks will reduce the country’s dependence on such products. The APIs are the raw material of the pharmaceutical industry and this announcement will attract big investors in the state”, confided Sanjay Guleria, Advisor, Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association (HDMA).

The state government was already in the process of facilitating these industries and it had accorded principal approval to two such units —- Lupin Pharma and Torrent Pharma —- to set up bulk drug units in its single window clearance agency meeting held in January last year.

There are nearly 650 pharmaceutical industries in the state, where the share of bulk drug manufacturers was less than 2 per cent. Morepen Labs was among the major bulk drug manufacturers here.

“Since the incentives of the Central package had lapsed the pharmaceutical units operating in the state were eagerly awaiting its setting up as incentives will be available to those investing in this park. It will also open the door for new players which will fetch employment to the youth” confided SL Singla, president, HDMA. The officials of the Industries Department were on the lookout for an appropriate piece of land to house this bulk drug park and at least 1,000 bigha land would be required to cater to the needs of big units, confided an official. He said the work was underway on a war-footing and various factors were taken into account like the pollution control measures as these industries were highly pollution.

The bulk drug industry was categorized among the 17 most polluting industries. Hence, measures like setting up of common effluent treatment plants will have to be taken into consideration while giving approval to such units.

The state exports drugs worth Rs 9,500 crores while its total contribution in drug trade is to the tune of Rs 1,30,000 crore and every third drug in the domestic market is manufactured in Himachal.