Even as the Union commerce ministry is all set to implement barcoding on pharma exports from January 1 after the dismissal of the case against it in the Madras High Court, hundreds of medium pharma companies are in real trouble as they are still not ready to implement the new technology. These companies in fact have been expecting another extension on the implementation of barcoding as the matter was pending in the court.

But the dismissal of the petition by the court on December 21 has put paid to the hopes these medium companies. While the big industries more or less have welcomed the implementation of the barcoding on exports, for the small scale companies the government is still ready to provide some kind of relaxation to adjust to the new system.

“We are agreeable and we want this new integrated technology for pharma exports. And we have already informed the commerce ministry that we are agreeable to the new system,” said DG Shah, secretary general of Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), which is an alliance of big Indian pharma companies Cadilla, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Dr Reddy's, Wockhardt, Lupin, Cipla, Ranbaxy, etc.

Likewise, the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), an organisation primarily of multinational pharma companies in India, has also welcomed the commerce ministry's decision to implement the barcoding. 'When the government wanted to do something for the quality, and wanted to showcase the quality of our products in other countries, we welcome it and are ready and prepared to accept it,” OPPI secretary general Tapan Ray said.

Meanwhile, it is the medium companies which are not still ready to accept the new technology as they have been heavily banking on a favourable verdict from the Madras High Court on the issue. The medium and small scale industry has been banking on the court to dismiss the commerce ministry's attempt to implement bar coding, which the industry termed as impracticable, both economically as well as logistically.

Ever since the ministry rolled out its plan to implement barcoding on January 10, 2011, the industry has literally been on warpath against the ministry's decision. When its repeated pleas to defer the barcode implementation fell on the deaf ears of the officials of the commerce ministry, the industry moved Madras high court on December 19, 2011, and the court stayed the second phase of barcode implementation. The court was jointly moved by Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (CIPI) and Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA).