Hyderabad is not only the city of Charminar. This city of charms is also the ancestral home of many an industrial stream in the country. It is the cradle of one of India's ever-growing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) industry. Several of the leaders in this integral segment of the pharmaceutical sector were born, grew and flourishing in this ``bulk drug capital''.

If India is a well-known name the world pharmaceutical industry today, a major share of the approbation invariably falls on this capital city of Andhra Pradesh.

The pharma heritage of Hyderabad will again be rekindled as the city plays host for the greatest confluence in the pharma industry of the year-Indian Pharmaceutical Congress 2005. All the stake-holders across the whole gamut of the pharmaceutical and allied industries will gather for 57th IPC to be held on 2nd, 3rd and 4th December, 2005. The venue chosen for this grand gala is Hitex - a world class exhibition centre in South and Central Asia.

Though the IPC is an annual feature, 57th number has a unique distinction. It is the first IPC after India entering into product patent regime, following the general Agreement on Tariffs & Trade (GATT) of WTO. The event will definitely be a booster for all the domestic industries and also the universities engaged in the research related activities in general and those in Hyderabad in particular.

Realising the new opportunities and challenges faced by the health care industry in the era of globalisation, the theme of 57th IPC has been chosen as "Pharmacist : Drug Discovery Research". As a major stake holder in the industry, the pharmacists are poised to play a crucial role in the emerging scenario. Since pharmacy profession is connected with every aspect of the drug discovery to its end use, pharmacist by virtue of his strategic position can play a vital role in the drug discovery research.

"Pharmacist can not only contribute in the drug discovery, but also play an important role in its formulation aspects also, and this makes all the difference when it comes to optimisation of therapy," emphasises V C Nannapaneni, president of Indian Pharmaceutical Congress

Association (IPCA) for the year 2005, and the chairman of Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma Limited.

A presidential symposium on the theme will be a major highlight of the Congress. Vital issues pertaining the industry and academia will be thoroughly debated in the accompanying Scientific Programmes of IPC 2005. About 60 speakers from overseas and 20 Indian experts will take part in the plenary sessions.

In addition to the scientific sessions, workshops for young pharmacists and women pharmacists, stimulating symposia, lectures on continuing pharmacy education, oral and poster presentations etc., will also embellish the Congress.

A workshop with the support from the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) focusing on clinical pharmacy and therapeutics will be a new feature in the Congress. The theme of the workshop is 'GCP for pharmacists'. ``Such programmes were not seen in earlier IPCs. Thus, 57th IPC is setting a trend for future Indian Pharmaceutical Congresses,'' prides Prof. Dr Renukaa Datla, chairperson, Local Organising Committee, 57th IPC.

According to Dr Datla, the response, so far, for the IPC 2005 has been tremendous from both within the country and abroad. All the space has been booked. Registrations for the Congress are estimated to be over 5000. About 10,000 visitors are expected to the venue. Nearly 30,000 industry professionals in India and abroad will benefited one way or the other.

Concurrent with the 57th IPC is PHARMAceutical EXPO 2005, the definitive pharmaceutical exhibition organized by FICCI at Hitex Exhibition Center is an additional attraction for the exhibitors and the delegates.

IPC 2005 is organised by the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association. IPCA is a federating body comprising of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), The Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA), the Indian Hospital Pharmacists Association (IHPA), Association of Pharmacy Teachers of India (APTI). Chronicle Pharmabiz, is the official business partner.