Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) is optimistic that the new pharma policy adopted by the government may help domestic bulk drugs sector to double exports to central Asian region.

According to Dr P V Appaji, director general of Pharmexcil, already countries like Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and others in the central and Middle East Asia are heavily depending on Indian suppliers for their bulk drugs. India's plan to establish more pharma clusters at this time will give a big boost to the domestic bulk drugs sector. The new policy will not only help the domestic players to enhance their bulk drug manufacturing capacity but also to stop excessive imports of cheap APIs from China.

“Government’s policy to boost domestic bulk drugs is a very good move. It will not only reduce India’s increasing dependence on China for APIs, but also help the country to double its API manufacturing capacity and enhance exports to countries like Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia,” says Appaji.
 
Many central Asian countries like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Magnolia, Turkey are sourcing APIs from India. Particularly Iran is very strong in formulations and majority of its APIs are sourced from India.

Saudi Arabia, which is very strong in medical equipment and diagnostics, is now slowly turning towards manufacturing formulations and this country is also having a great potential for sourcing APIs from India.

“As part of our export promotion activities, we are leaving no stone unturned to pitch India’s strengths and capabilities in central Asia, Middle East or even in adjoining European countries. Last year at CPhI Istanbul, we got a very good response from the central Asian countries. Even this year we want to pitch India’s pharma strengths at Arab Health and Dubai expo. The Arabian courtiers are very much keen on importing herbal and ayurvedic products from India. Similarly, Iran which is already the largest importer of APIs from India, we want to double our exports in the next two years and hopefully the government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign and the new pharma policy to boost the domestic bulk drugs will definitely help increase the API exports to central Asia and adjoining countries,” said the DG.

For promoting Indian bulk drugs and APIs, Pharmexcil is planning to send a delegation to Tehran in the next 3 months. In  the next three years, India is expected to become self sufficient in bulk drug manufacturing and increase its export capacities to potential markets in Central Asia.