The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil), after setting up its regional offices in Mumbai and Delhi, is in advanced stage of operations to set up its third regional office at Ahmedabad, in order to support the increasing export activities of the stakeholders in Gujarat.

Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Pharmexcil and the Industry Department under Government of Gujarat last year, the council has recently identified a premise at Ahmedabad to set up its office. The Gujarat government is considering the request to allocate the place for Pharmexcil and the decision is expected to be out within two weeks, according to Pharmexcil officials.

"Setting up an office in Ahmedabad has been decided after taking various factors into consideration, including the clear concentration of pharma industry in the state, the substantial exports taking place from Gujarat etc. Also, Chemexcil has an office in the state. The project to establish the office in Ahmedabad is in advanced stage," said P V Appaji, executive director, Pharmexcil. The council will commence operations within three months time, once the clearance is provided by the Government of Gujarat.

The move to set up office at Gujarat comes as the part of the council's plans to set up its regional centres in various parts of the country. "We have also plans in mind to commence our offices in cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Madhya Pradesh. But as a comparatively new organisation, we have our constraints to initiate the projects in a short time span," added Appaji.

The file is currently under consideration of the Secretariat of Government of Gujarat and is expected to be cleared soon, averred an official from Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA). The council can provide immense support to the pharmaceutical companies in Gujarat, when more and more stakeholders are looking at export opportunities for growth. "There are almost 165 companies complied with WHO's GMP in the state. In last few years, we feel that the exports from the state are growing at a higher rate. The setting up of pharmexcil will help the small and medium companies to find better space in exports business," added an FDCA source.