The Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA)'s Golden Jubilee celebrations will conclude on January 6 and 7, 2012 with a two -day grand celebration in Mumbai.

IDMA has been celebrating its Golden Jubilee Year with a slew of activities such as seminars, CSR activities such as blood donation drives, free medicines distribution, Save the Girl Child Campaign, continuing medical education programme for doctors, participating in the events such as CPhI 2011 and organizing expos like Pharma Tech Expo 2011 Exhibition, Pharmac India 2011 and setting up a job portal.

IDMA has more than 750 members, made up of large, medium and small national manufacturers spread across the length and breadth of the country. While the turnover of Indian pharma industry has grown exponentially from Rs.10 crore (about US$ 2 million) in 1948 to about Rs.1,00,000 crore (US$ 21 billion) today, a growth rate of over 15 per cent, IDMA members’ market share is about 75 per cent in formulations and about 85 per cent in bulk drugs.

IDMA has about 19 sub-committees, headed by experts, and very active state boards in Gujarat, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

IDMA is the oldest association of pharmaceutical manufacturers in India, which has been doing yeoman service for the growth of pharmaceutical industry in India. It was formed in 1961 due to the initiative of a small group of Indian visionary entrepreneurs in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India,at a time the nation was dependent on imported medicines and the pharma industry was dominated by foreign companies.

Now, 50 years down the road, the complexion of the Industry is distinctly Indian, and India has acquired a salient position in the pharmaceutical stratosphere, with Maharashtra leading the way as the torch-bearer of the Indian industry.

From depending on importers of finished formulations from the West, India has emerged as a leading exporter of APIs as well as formulations to developed nations in competition with the might of MNCs. Conceived with the aim of promoting the cause of the indigenous industry and to serve the healthcare needs of the Indian public, IDMA is today, acknowledged as the Voice of the National Sector. India today is capable of providing affordable quality medicines not only to its people, but also to people all over the world.

IDMA has been working with the Government on the industry's development plans and various public matters. It has been actively involved with the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) for preparing proper plan and guidelines for providing boost to the pharma industry in the 12th Five Year Plan and is in continuous dialogue with the Department to ensure a fair price to consumers as well as industry to ensure easy availability and to attract fresh talents and investments.

IDMA has also been playing a crucial role in other important issues such as further amendments to the Patents Act, the Drugs & Cosmetics Act & Rules and its amendments, and other policy matters. IDMA has been in the forefront, actively supporting Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and actively participating its various task forces in preparing a long term strategy for strengthening drug sector under the leadership of DCGI. It has also been supporting the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in compiling and bringing out the Indian Pharmacopoeia and its activities.

IDMA has all along promoted its entrepreneurs' key strength - the development of low cost generics in varied abundance without compromising on quality. The generics - based Indian pharma industry today is highly organised and has evolved as an important sector in the forefront of India's science-based industries with wide ranging capabilities in the complex field of drug manufacture and technology.