In a major boost to the small and medium pharmaceutical units, the Centre has asked the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) to extend 50 per cent concession in fees to the SME units for various services and facilities available with the premier institute.

Following the long-standing demand from the pharma associations representing the SSIs, the Centre has taken the decision to cut down the service charges for SME sector while sanctioning a proposal to set up a dedicated centre for the sector at NIPER.

"The proposal for the creation of Centre for SME Pharma has been approved by the Centre subject to the condition that the user charge from the SME pharma units for various facilities and services should not exceed 50 per cent of the normal user charges fixed by NIPER for industry," according to the department of pharmaceuticals in a communication to NIPER.

SME Pharma Industries Confederation (SPIC), which has been pressing for such a concession welcomed the decision, saying that it would be relief to the struggling small scale sector. "Thousands of units are going to benefit out of the move as they can take use of the facilities of NIPER to improve their working and go for more innovations," said SPIC vice-chairman Lalit Kumar Jain who was also member of a sub-committee of NIPER to study and suggest measures for the small scale sector. The panel had also recommended such a concession sometime back, apart from representations to the Centre by different organisations.

The centre also sanctioned the proposal for a dedicated centre for SME which would offer analytical and testing services to the enterprises on a payment of nominal fee. It would deal with deal with instrumentation, safety pharmacology, pharmacoinformatics, bioavailability and technology development are preparing to offer these services.

Several leading pharma companies are currently utilising the technology development facility and research labs. The move is particularly good news for drug units in the tax-free areas of Baddi and Solan in Himachal

The centre will have dosage pilot plant, tablet section, capsule section, parenterals (dry powder, liquid and eye drops) unit, and sections from topical formulations and liquid orals. The NIPER had already submitted the detailed project report for the same and the pharmaceutical department had approved the same.