Karnataka Drugs and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (KDPMA) sees the Pharmaceuticals Exports Promotion Council of India’s (Pharmexcil’s) 5th office in the country at Bengaluru as a shot in the arm to garner export revenues. The move is in sync with the state’s future plans to attract new investments, Pharma Clusters besides establish the National/Karnataka Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (N/KIPER).

Karnataka already has a CDSCO Port office at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. Therefore having a Pharmexcil office in the city was much-wanted owing to the importance of the state as a hub for global manufacturers, said Jatish N Seth, president, KDPMA and director, Srushti Pharmaceuticals.

The new office which is located in the same office complex of the KDPMA in the city is viewed by the industry as a help to solve much of the export related challenges. In the last fiscal, the state’s exporters were bogged down by slow regulatory clearances, fall in currency valuations, unprecedented drop in demand from Europe, BRCS and MENA regions.

“The accessibility to Pharmexcil will enable the industry to arrive at speedy solutions and alternate markets to trade. Our exporters face serious problems to seek No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the CDSCO Chennai office which is time consuming and expensive. Going by the significance of this state for high value drugs, Pharmexcil’s presence could ease the access to NOC by creating an office in Bengaluru. We are also hoping that the regular related seminars and awareness programmes which are planned to be organized here, would give an insight to the small-medium enterprises to tap the global markets”, he added.

This 5th office of Pharmexcil after Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad will also see the Ayush and nutraceutical exporters benefit, said Dr PV Appaji, director-general Pharmexcil at the inauguration.

In 2014-15. Karnataka pharma reported revenues to the tune of Rs.13,500 crore clocking a 9 per cent growth rate. Of this, Rs.5,800 crore constituted exports earnings which grew at 7 per cent of the total national exports. The state pharma units account for 1.2 per cent of the total national industry numbers.

“The companies here are well equipped to meet the future needs in the areas of innovative formulations, novel drug delivery systems, nanotechnology among others. In Karnataka, there are seven US FDA, 8 MHRA and 82 WHO certified plants in addition to several international approvals including UNICEF, MCC South Africa, ANVISA, PIC/S which reinstate Karnataka pharma’s capability as a hub for quality outsourcing. Companies cater to the needs of the top ten global majors to manufacture drugs including Crocin, Voveron, Becosules, Augmentin, Dolo-650, Beplex Forte, Betnovate Linctus Gelusil, Calpol, Benadryl, Sensodyne, ORS –L, Cobadex, Zevit iv 52, ”said Seth.