As the preparations nearing completion for the 65th edition of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), the organisers are looking for a large turnout of delegates and strong presence of regulatory officials in the mega event that brings together all stakeholders of pharma and allied industries.

Around 5000 delegates are expected and there was a huge response to the call for papers and posters already. The presence of top officials from the Union Government and the States will be a major attraction of the event, said A K Nasa, president of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA) which is organising the meet.

IPC, the biggest gathering of the pharma and pharmacy segments in the country, is being held at Amity University, Noida, near here from December 20 to 22, 2013. Delhi is hosting the event for the eighth time. The organisers, including Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) which is the host organisation, have made elaborate arrangements for the event.

“The theme for the conference is “Pharma Vision 2020: Empowering Pharmacist”. The event will also have a dedicated expo involving over 200 stalls and job fair for the students community,” he added.

Prominent scientific personalities and intellectuals from the pharmaceutical industry, research and development, regulatory departments, quality control, hospitals, community pharmacy, academic fields, marketing, pharmaceutical consultants, policy makers, state and central agencies will be attending the event.

The organisers said they had received more 1750 presentations and posters, indicating the interest it could generate in the field. Among the 100 odd speakers, 25 are going to be from abroad, making it a strongest platform of idea-sharing at the global level.

“The focus of the event will be in-depth panel discussions on industry, regulatory and educational aspects. The event will come out with strong recommendations in these areas,” said organizing secretary Dr Arun Garg.

“The Delhi edition of the IPC will make a difference from the earlier editions in many ways. The theme of the conference is chosen to bring out the excellence in pharmacy education and practices,” according to Nasa.

The meet is also expected to give a much-wanted boost to the North Indian pharma industry which has been fighting for survival in the recent times, after the attraction of excise free zones lost sheen. Besides,participation of  large number of officials from the government will be a major spur to the event.

“Hosting the conference in Delhi, being the capital and also the seat of all Ministries and major Authorities would surely play a significant role as representatives from various Authorities and regulatory forums are also expected to participate in the conference,” Nasa added.