The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has now formally granted permission for the setting up of a port office or export facilitation centre at the Bengaluru International Airport. In this connection, the State drugs control department and the DCGI met here to chalk out an action plan to kick off the operations by the month end. The setting-up of the port office will have a positive cascading effect including bringing down cost overheads and prevent inordinate delays for pharma manufacturers here. It also viewed to provide the much-needed boost to several green field initiatives.

The new port office has appointed Manivanan as assistant drugs controller to over see the operations. The State requires a dedicated port office as the increasing number of companies focusing on international sales.

Right now we have assigned a room for the port office. The long pending port office will streamline the logistics and save time for the pharma exporters in the State. Karnataka exports both bulk and formulations. So long Karnataka pharma sector had to dispatch all its consignments to Chennai and furnish the details of the products. Now the dedicated port office here will prevent any further delays. It was also proving to be cumbersome for the companies to transport drugs to Chennai stated Dr Surinder Singh, DCGI.

The demand for a port office was mandated by the Karnataka Drugs Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (KDPMA).

It has been mandatory to have an independent office in Bangalore which accounts for over Rs 2000 crore of earnings. The State's total pharma earnings is estimated at Rs 3850 crore ending March 31, 2009 of which exports account for 8 per cent. The leading exporters are Biocon, Micro Labs, Bal Pharma, Medriech, RL Fine Chem, Strides Arcolab to name a few.

Current area for the port office is 150 sq. ft. and will be expanded based on the volumes. Once the facility is commissioned, we will look at expansion based on the requirement. Efforts are also made to have two drug inspectors at the port office here, stated Dr. Singh.

According to Dr BR Jagashetty, Karnataka drugs controller, the department is a big relief. Going forward, the companies and the port office is a turning point in the pharma exports for the State. It will demonstrate the faster turnaround and efficiency of the exporters.

The port office was a long overdue. There will be both increased exports and investments of new units, stated: Anjan K Roy, president, KDPMA and MD, RL Fine Chem.

Currently CDSCO port office for exports of pharmaceuticals is located at Chennai and the manufacturers were finding it difficult to coordinate. Now the port office will give a fillip to our activities, stated, Kaushik Desai, CEO & director, Global Pharmatech.

In addition, Karnataka is also setting up a sub-zonal office of the CDSCO located within the State drugs control department which is expected to be operational by July.