Mysuru, the erstwhile capital of Karnataka and the city of palaces, which has displayed its intellectual capability during the ongoing three-day 67th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress is now hoping that potential pharma companies that are participating at the event could invest in the region.

JSS University which is the venue of the event is expected to give a new direction to the pharma professionals. It will be an educative experience, Dr. B Suresh, vice chancellor, JSS University, Mysuru, president, Pharmacy Council of India and chairman local organising committee, 67th IPC told Pharmabiz.

Now JSS University was opted to host the 67th IPC because of its excellence in education and particularly in pharmacy. It has taken a lead in introducing many subjects like pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical sciences and regulatory programme. Therefore, we felt the need for experts not just from academia but industry and regulatory to come here and have an experience of this event, he added.

The city is an intellectual hub with leading research centres Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore University and information technology companies like Infosys and Wipro besides the presence of a handful of pharma companies that focus on global markets. But the pharma industry has not grown in Mysore. Therefore we view that the 67th IPC would be able to attract investors into this city at least to set up research and development centres. The access to manpower and ideal resources for science research are easily available here to stimulate such an activity, said Dr. Suresh.

There are promising growth prospects in Mysuru and the visible trends are access to qualified workforce with industrial land availability, said Dr. HV Raghunandan, deputy director, academics, JSS University and co-chairman, Exhibition Committee, 67th IPC.

The pharmaceutical environment in Mysuru is a confluence of research and manufacturing though there are only a handful of pharma companies here. The presence of USFDA approved Jubilant Life Sciences at Nanjangud Industrial Area for production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), Reckitt & Benckiser of India which is MHRA approved at the Industrial Area Hootagalli producing Disprin tablets and Dettol Antiseptic Liquid and Supreme Pharmaceuticals manufacturing bulk stabilized vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals are among the well-known names. It is also home to data management and medial writing companies: BioClinica, and Aris Global chipping services to the US market. For alternative and traditional medicine too, there are many formulators like the Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakal and the BV Pandit’s Traditional and Herbal Healthcare.

There are several leading industrial area at Nanjangud, T Narispura, Tandya and Kavakola which already have small and medium manufacturing units engaged in the production of intermediates, bulk drugs and chemicals, said Dr. Raghunandan.