The Hindu Business Line : AP Govt moves to promote more mini-pharma cities

HAVING initiated the promotion of the Pharma City at Visakhapatnam (spread over 2,500 acres), the Andhra Pradesh Government is now considering promoting mini-pharma cities around Hyderabad.

The idea is to enable the existing pharma companies in the twin cities to take up expansion activities in the neighbouring districts of Medek, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar, the State Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Ms Lakshmi Parthasarathy, said.

"The Government has been getting several requests from the industry to provide infrastructure near Hyderabad so that they would have proximity to their existing manufacturing facilities," she said here on Thursday.

She was addressing delegates from India, Africa, and ASEAN and Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries at the International Conference on Health and Pharma, jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil).

Ms Parthasarathy appealed to the delegates from 29 countries to benefit from the quality manufacturing facilities and cost-competitiveness of drugs manufactured in India in general and Andhra Pradesh in particular. She has also urged them to consider entering into joint ventures and other alliances to tap the emerging opportunities.

Expressing concern over the high incentives being offered by Hill States for setting up of pharma units, which was proving detrimental to the interests of other States, she requested the Union Government to address the issue and curb unhealthy competition among States at the earliest. The State Government has already taken up the issue with the Centre, she said.

Responding to this later in the day at a seminar organised by the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI), the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mr E.V.K.S. Elangovan, said the Centre would look into the issue and sort it out amicably.

He stressed on the need for African, ASEAN and GCC countries to evolve a detailed roadmap of cooperation to meet the emerging challenges, especially the new patent regime that came into force from January this year. The areas of cooperation include setting up of joint ventures, transfer of technologies and training of technical people in the partner countries, Mr Elangovan said.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page