The ball was set in motion for the next Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), scheduled in Delhi, with the host organization Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) holding its meeting to fix the venue and other procedures here recently.

The meeting, though another routine one of the IPGA, discussed in detail the matter, especially the venue for the event. The Association is considering two options - Pusa Campus and another institute at Dwaraka in the city - to host the prestigious conference.

``Once we finalise the venue, we will again meet in the first week of February to finalise other formalities and set up the local organizing committee,'' said A K Nasa of IPGA.

The organizers are also zeroing in on a couple of persons including Ranbaxy managing director Malvinder Singh to be the chairman of the LOC. Last time when the event was held in Delhi, then-DCGI was the LOC chairman. However, this time DCGI has already been made the president of the 60th IPC.

If Pusa institute is being chosen as the venue, the event would be held from Friday to Sunday of the second week of December. If the other venue is being fixed, the conference would be held in the third week, Nasa said.

Once the LOC would be formed, the theme will be finalized. It will be again on the broad topic of Pharma Vision 2020. The IPGA is expecting more than 8000 delegates for the event, as the national capital is hosting it this time.

``After the next meeting and formation of the LOC, all aspects will be clear by the middle of February so that we can start the preparations in time,'' he said.

It was announced in the last IPC held at Varanasi from December 20-23 that the prestigious pharma event will be held in Delhi under the banner of the IPGA, a member of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association.