Gujarat: 115 API manufacturing units will be set up in Gujarat. Rajkot News – Times of India

Ahmedabad: Reducing Your Import Dependency, One Innovation at a Time, GujaratThe pharmaceutical landscape of India is going to change and evolve soon. With some 115 new plants getting manufacturing licenses to manufacture bulk drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) since the Covid-19 lockdown, the state is set to witness an investment of Rs 2,000 crore.
The companies currently operating in the state have a strong base in pharmaceutical formulations and greater import-dependence on their Chinese counterparts for the manufacture of APIs.
“Gujarat has a total of 3,415 pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, of which 1,567 manufacture bulk drugs. In the last two years, the department has approved some 288 new pharmaceutical manufacturing units, of which 40% will manufacture APIs,” said Dr. HG Koshia, Commissioner of Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) – Gujarat
MSME willing to produce API
The pharma industry of Gujarat and India is heavily dependent on China for bulk purchase of drugs for vitamins, antibiotics and steroids. With the advent of new units, this will come down significantly. Once API Park comes up, big companies will also invest here.”
According to the Gujarat FDCA, till 2019-20, the average number of new units manufacturing APIs was 30 per annum, which has almost doubled now.
Industry sources said that after Kovid-19, there was an unprecedented increase in API prices due to supply disruptions from China. Experts suggest that if the production of indigenous APIs in Gujarat increases, the prices of medicines will also come down.
Existing pharma manufacturers in the state make active pharma ingredients such as cephalosporins, steroids, inorganic salts, proton pump inhibitors, analgesics, antipyretics and paracetamol, diclofenac sodium, aceclofenac, ibuprofen, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory drugs. viral but key starting material According to industry players for most of these are imported.
With the coming up of the new units, APIs for oncology, hormones, vitamins, steroids and antibiotics will be manufactured locally in Gujarat, which were earlier mainly imported from China.
“Many pharma sector players are looking forward to their entry into API manufacturing. Some 1,500 units are currently producing APIs, however, most are being manufactured with a limited range of small and medium scale APIs. Upcoming units Will not only increase the capacity but also offer. It has a wide range with APIs for oncology and hormone drugs. This will help reduce India’s imports from China for API manufacturing.” shrenik shahiPresident, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) – Gujarat Chapter
The upcoming units are mainly MSMEs which are eyeing to manufacture high value products.
Other than this API ParkThe central government has introduced production linked incentive (PLI) Scheme for key starting materials, pharmaceutical intermediates and APIs.