The drug manufacturers in Tamil Nadu, in association with the state Government, have embarked on an ambitious project to upgrade the existing pharmaceutical industry infrastructure in the state, and to develop new exclusive pharma industrial clusters, in accordance with the world standards.

The industry has formed the Chennai Pharma Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Company (CPIIUC), and is in the process of availing the incentives offered by the Central Government for cluster development for industries. Envisaged as a role model for even other states to emulate in infrastructure creation and developing existing infrastructure for pharma in accordance to world standards, the CPIIIUC will act as the facilitator in the development process.

Initially, CPIIUC plans to develop the existing infrastructure at the Alathur Pharmaceutical complex which houses over 25 pharmaceutical units, and thereafter will try to develop new Pharma industry clusters in other parts of the state. The immediate goals for CPIIUC at Alathur would include to develop the roads leading to Alathur and to set up high class storage facilities, S Lakshminarayanan, director of CPIIUC revealed exclusively to Pharmabiz.

Already the company, registered as a non profit motive trust, has working capital of over Rs 2 crore contributed by the manufacturers and plans to have a corpus of Rs 20 crore, with participation from the state and central Governments. The state Government's Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC), Small industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) and Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation of Tamil Nadu (ITCOT) will act as the nodal agencies in developing the infrastructure. Vijaya Bank and State Bank of Mysore have already come forward to assist the project.

The CPIIUC's initial plans in Alathur will be to set up a quality control laboratory, and discussions are on with the J S S College of Ooty to set up a quality control center for herbal industries in Alathur. Besides, setting up of a resource center and library are also on the anvil. Details and nitty-gritty are being worked out, said Lakshminarayanan.

Dr B Suresh, president, Pharmacy Council of India, is the managing director of CPIIUC and S S Vanagamudi, CMD of Apex Laboratories, Chennai, is the chairman. Supported by all the leading companies, the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) Tamil Nadu branch, Tamil Nadu Ayurvedic Siddha and Unani Drugs Manufacturers Association, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Tamil Nadu and the Alathur Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association are the leading stakeholders in CPIIUC.