The Tamil Nadu government is all set to upgrade the Alathur Pharmaceutical complex into a Pharma Park, on the lines of the one announced by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. The Tamil Nadu government has directed the Industries Ministry to look into the feasibility for the upgradation. In turn, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has been vested the interest to conduct a feasibility study on which basis the upgradation would be considered. But the stand of the government does not guarantee an upgradation since it is in a financial mire and if anything it does on this issue it would be at a later date.

This present consideration of the Tamil Nadu government has come at a time when the requests made by the Alathur Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association (APMA) were turned down. APMA had made the pleas a few months back, claiming that the upgradation was possible since new infrastructure were not required to be established which made things easier for an upgradation. It has also come at a time when the government has not given priority status to the pharmaceutical industry with regards to exports.

Alathur Pharmaceutical complex is perhaps the only one of its kind in the country. At present it houses quite a few number of formulation manufacturers besides the bulk manufacturing facility of Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the country's largest exporter of cephalosporin bulk active.

It has not been made clear whether the government was eager to upgrade the complex into a park. It conveyed that it was just relooking at the proposal made by APMA and was in no way committing on the upgradation. But indications are that the Tamil Nadu government would not go on it alone. A corpus fund with equal contributions from the government and the companies in the complex, or the industry on the whole, would be set up, money from which would be used for upgradation. No categorical view on the same could be obtained as the government sources remained tight-lipped on the issue.

The pharmaceutical industry in Tamil Nadu has logged Rs. 800 crore worth of exports in the last financial year. Industry sources claim the same could be stepped up substantially if the park comes into existence.