India has taken up the issue of counterfeit drugs with ‘made in India’ labels but produced by the Chinese firms and exported to the African markets. This has been affecting the image of Indian generic industry in the global arena.

The industry representatives and the Indian officials have expressed concerns on this count and asked for stern action from the government agencies and the industry in China in this regard during the talks held as part of the visit of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao to India. Both the sides have learnt to have agreed to work jointly to tackle the problem.

The issue of fake drugs being imported through Indian ports was also discussed during the meetings. In the past, authorities in Mumbai and Chennai have seized bulk drugs imported from China, as some importers sought to evade import duty, bypass import regulations, or actually imported so-called spurious drugs.

Liu Zhanglin, vice-president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, said after meeting with Indian industry that both the governments have to jointly work to tackle the problem of counterfeit drugs, especially after some manufacturers in China labelled their products as ‘made in India’ and exported them.

Meanwhile the Chinese drug industry is trying to snatch more space in India, especially in the formulation market. The 12-member delegation of the Chinese industry, accompanying the Prime Minister, has already held discussions with the Indian counterparts and both the sides have laid platform for a memorandum of understanding to be signed in January.

Before coming to India as part of the team of the Premier, the Chinese industry had sent a team some time back to hold discussions with the Indian officials in the Pharmaceutical Department and the industry captains on forging ties and establishing closer relations in the sector.

“China and India could collaborate in joint tendering for global pharma export orders, given China’s strengths in the production of quality active pharmaceutical ingredients, India’s capability in volume production of formulations and the ability of Indian companies to prepare documentation for global tendering,” said Zhanglin.