When the Gujarat Pharma Techno Park coming up at Changodar near Ahmedabad takes off within a few months from now, it will be a dream come true for whole of the drug manufacturing industry in Gujarat.

According to sources with the State Board of Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA), which is promoting the Rs.4- crore park, 60,000 square yards of agricultural land have been acquired for the purpose and soon civil works will be started at the pharma park.

Though the rains in Gujarat for the past two months have delayed the process, the park is likely to be ready for transfer within another 50 to 60 days. IDMA State Board is in discussion with IL & FS to further develop the project. Besides, the promoters have roped in SMPS as consultants and Jani & Company as legal advisers. A Netherlands-based leading architect also had visited the facility with an infrastructure plan matching international standards. SMPS is preparing the final map and soon land will be allocated to the units.

Since the entire land has been sold out to 35 units, the park is sure to take off as per schedule and pharmaceutical production is likely to start within six to eight months. About one lakh square yards of land is already in possession of the promoters.

The Gujarat state government is likely to fund Rs 2.5 crore for the Gujarat Pharma Techno Park and has assured to offer nil stamp duty for registration of land by declaring the park as under the state's industrial policy incentives. The Gujarat government will fund the project through its industrial infrastructure arm, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB). Ministers and senior government officials concerned have agreed to this in principle and funding is likely to be available within three months.

Major companies including Zydus Cadila, Osho Pharma, Five Star Pharma, West Coast Pharma, Ishita Pharma, Bilcare Industries- Pune, Sunij Pharma, Elite Pharma, Bonsai Pharma, Cambridge Pharma- Mehsana, Que Pharma, Irich Pharma, Medico Pharma etc. have taken space in the park to set up formulation units.

The project is envisaged to have quality civil infrastructure, captive power plant, common testing laboratory and common effluent treatment plant. The technical consultant of the project is Dalal Mott MC Donald. Deepak Kumar Jayantilal Padia, former chairman of IDMA state board, mainly spearheads the project, initiated by IDMA state board about four years ago.