The Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has come up with a plan to help the struggling small and medium pharmaceutical units to explore new avenues in business and measures to utilize the current huge spare capacities of contract manufacturing units.

As part of this, the IDMA-SME Committee is conducting a seminar on ‘Marketing by SMEs’ in Mumbai on 5th August 2005. Senior most pharma marketing professionals will elaborate on brand management, field management, regional marketing and co-marketing, export marketing and institution marketing. The topic on brand management will detail on selecting an ideal product mix, brand building and new product launches. While speakers on filed management will elaborate on sales and systems required for SMEs in the changed environment, the topic on export marketing is aimed to sensitize SMEs on selection of countries, how to commence export formalities, product costing etc.

Currently the MRP based excise, VAT and Schedule M has severely affected the survival of SME units. More than 65 per cent of the pharmaceutical production in the country is being dislocated to excise free zones. Most of the contract-manufacturers, who invested heavily for setting up spare capacities to canvass better business in future, are now in doldrums due to the MRP based excise. At least 100 to 150 IDMA SSI members have invested about Rs 300 crore for capacity expansion. In this scenario, exploration of alternate options is necessary for their survival, S V Veeraamani, vice president of IDMA and chairman, IDMA-SME Committee, told Pharmabiz.

He said depending on the response to the seminar, the event would be replicated in other parts of the country. The one-day seminar will be held at Sunville Banquet Rooms, Worli.