Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association (MSCDA) is an affiliate to All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD)-the umbrella organisation that represents nearly 5.5 lakh chemists all over the country including the Union Territories.

Came into existence in the year of 1975 through relentless endeavour of Vinubhai U Shah of Maharashtra, Atul Datta of West Bengal and Anubhai Patel of Gujarat, the trio which the organisation considers as its founders. MSCDA has 35, 000 members.

The three-tier body is spread across all the 36 districts in Maharashtra. The micro villages are administered by the Tehsils and these Tehsils are connected to districts level bodies. And MSCDA governs the district functionaries.

MSCDA comes fourth in the country in terms of member strength after UP (65,000), West Bengal (55,000) and Bihar (45,000) and is responsible for 20 per cent of country's retail business to the tune of around 4000 crore. The state trade is estimated to grow at the rate of approximate 10 per cent per year.

MSCDA is considered a trade body with no known parallel activity, claims J S Shinde, President MSCDA and Hon. General Secretary AIOCD. The proactive role played by the body make it to liaison with prominent industrial associations operating in Mumbai like IDMA, OPPI, PAMDAL to form joint strategies to tackle issues affecting industry like spurious drugs.