In a major boost to the Indian pharma companies, the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has approved plant designs of around 110 new manufacturing facilities through its plant approval committee in the past six months towards propelling government's flagship Make In India campaign.

The manufacturing units include APIs, formulations and medical device units. A large number of pharmaceutical companies which had to close down their establishments in the northern part of the country in the event of expiry of tax holidays granted during 2001-02 also applied with their plant designs. Some foreign players had also given their plant designs out of which some are Japanese companies.

“This will also usher in a wave of foreign investments in the country and accelerate Make in India campaign. Since now Gujarat government having revised its time line for grant of manufacturing licenses to 60 days from the earlier stipulated time line of 120 days, the pharma companies will start their operations in few months time,” informed Gujarat FDCA Commissioner Dr H G Koshia.

The revision of timeliness is a major initiative as part of Pharma Vision 2020 under the Right of Citizens to Services for speedy issuance of licenses.

Over 4000 manufacturing units are located across the state in four large clusters with 5 Special Economic Zones in an area of over 1500 hectares. The state today has 255 WHO certified manufacturing units with 23 MHRA certified, 24 TGA certified, 15 EU certified and 16 PICS certified units. Besides this, it boasts of 158 formulation units and 97 bulk drug units. It has 40 per cent of CROs and 40 per cent of CRAMS companies.

Medical devices manufacturing is too capital intensive for individual manufacturers to invest upon. Therefore, a manufacturing park for medical devices at Sanand is also being planned towards making a giant leap in this direction.

Besides this, to nurture innovators and industry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Ahmadabad is also being developed as a National Centre for Medical Devices (NCMD).