Riding the high wave

strap: Ashray Gupta, proprietor Hindustan Pharmaceuticals, is going to add another set of professionals to his firm

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, FEBRUARY 2

Ashray Gupta, proprietor Hindustan Pharmaceuticals, is all set to establish an in-house research and development (R&D) centre to assist manufacturing of basic drugs isolated from natural plant sources and exported to first-world countries this year.

A chemical engineer by qualification, he says a highly qualified team of scientists would be introduced to handle these equipments to carry out work to meet the international standards as most of the items are exported to developed countries like the USA, Germany, Japan, UK, Hong Kong, Egypt, South Korea, Thailand, Egypt, Israel, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and more.

About five scientists and 15 other professionals would be hired. About 60 people are already working in the unit. For this, two-floor R&D centre on a floor area of 1,800 sq ft, comprising complete testing facility of raw materials and finished goods manufactured by them would be in place.

Latest and high-tech equipments like high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC), spectrophotometers, high pressure thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), gas chromatography and many other equipments necessary for research purposes for plant-based natural products would be imported.

Most of these machines are being imported from countries like Japan, South Korea and the USA.

The unit was established in 1971 by his father Raman Gupta. During its formative years, the unit was engaged in isolating and manufacturing the basic chemicals from natural plant sources. The company has taken long strides all these years to maintain its image of manufacturing, supplying standard and quality products in the international market. “They have used our products all these years and vouched for its authenticity,” he says.

The company earns more than 85 per cent of its turnover in foreign exchange. Moreover, the state government has felicitated the firm twice with coveted export awards.

Sharing his future plans, Ashray tells, “The company has also decided to go for manufacturing and marketing of standardised herbal extracts of several medicinal plants.”