Rajesh Shah, President of IPMMA in an email interview with Shardul Nautiyal gives an insight into the Pharma Pro & Pack event and shares his views on the Indian pharmaceutical machinery and packaging industry.
Kindly share your views on the pharmaceutical machinery and packaging industry in India?
The Indian pharmaceutical industry has been witnessing phenomenal growth in recent years, driven by rising consumption levels and strong demand from export markets. The pharmaceutical industry in India is estimated to be worth about US$ 10 billion, growing at an annual rate of nine per cent. In world rankings, the domestic industry stands fourth in terms of volume and 13th in value terms. The ranking in value terms may also be a reflection of the low prices at which medicines are being sold in the country.
Along with the development of pharmaceutical companies, pharmaceutical machinery manufacturers are also advancing themselves to address the challenges of pharmaceutical industries. Market leaders are looking at regulated markets like the US and Europe for their pharma products.
Looking at the capabilities of Indian pharma machinery companies, many international machinery manufactures have joined hands with Indian companies. This has helped the Indian pharmaceutical industry to procure improved Indigenous machinery at a price almost one fourth or one third the imported technology.
How well are Indian pharma machinery and packaging manufacturers positioned compared to their counterparts globally?
Indian pharma & packaging machinery manufacturers have made a strong headway in the world market. India’s increasing clout in the pharmaceutical domain is a universally acknowledged fact. Today, the Indian pharma machinery industry is flourishing and growing at a massive rate.
Indian pharmaceutical market is expected to grow by leaps and bounds not just in terms of scale but also in volumes. This will motivate pharmaceutical machinery manufacturers to innovate, offer advanced technologies, and yet maintain a competitive edge over European manufacturers in terms of cost.
To what extent Pharma Pro Pack Expo 2014 will help to promote and boost Brand India?
PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014 is the right international platform to showcase the technological strength of brand India to the world. This is the only event that provides equal opportunity to the smallest and the largest entrepreneur to exhibit.
The PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014 is industry’s own exhibition on pharma manufacturing with more than 480 exhibition companies from 18 countries under its fold. Nearly 20,000 professional buyers out of which more than 1,400 buyers from 140 countries are expected to be a part of the event.
There will be 4,000 products and services on display during this three- day event. Also there is Pharma Lab Expo 2014 (a special pavilion for analytical lab equipment) and co-located exhibition Iphex 2014 (organized by Pharmexcil) which will feature the exhibitors profile on the complete range of Pharma, Bio-chemical API and finished products. The expo is also supported by more than 15 national and international Pharma Trade Associations and will also be promoted worldwide in different pharma exhibitions.
Hence, we can say that PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014 is all set to give a massive dose of Pharma to promote Brand India internationally with co-located exhibition – iPHEX INDIA 2014 ( Organized by Pharmexcil).
What is the USP of PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014? Which all sectors will be taking part in the event?
PHARMA Pro& Pack Expo 2014 is the only exhibition where even smallest entrepreneur of pharma and packaging machinery can participates along with the other industry’s giants. A unique business platform opens the door of opportunities to do business across the globe for all the exhibiting companies. Without PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014, they would not dream to explore business across geographical boundaries.
Moreover, some key decision- makers of pharmaceutical industry have joined the exhibition advisory board of PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014 to provide their valuable guidelines to make the visit to the expo more meaningful .
Different industry’s sectors will be participating in PHARMA Pro&Pack Expo 2014 and iPHEX 2014 among which, some of the prominent are pharma processing machineries, equipment, consumables, packaging machinery and equipment, analytical lab equipment, materials, APIs, formulations, project management and pharma manufacturing services.
What are your views on the future prospects of the industry?
I am optimistic about the future growth of the pharma machinery and packaging industry as the industry is growing at the steady rate of 15 to 20 per cent.Unlike earlier days, now Indian pharma and machinery manufacturers have been able to take advantage of cutting edge technologies. Due to the enormous growth of Indian pharma machinery industry, there are more than 700 units today that are supplying machines to the pharmaceutical industry in India and worldwide. The machines produced by our foreign counterparts are however, five times more expensive than Indian machines, for the same products and in the same capacity. Indian pharmaceutical machineries are inexpensive and people still look to the Indian market for such products.