The Traditional Ayush Cluster of Tamil Nadu Pvt Ltd (TACT CLUSTER), which has been in the pipeline for the last two years, will be operational in early next year. With the commencement of operation of the cluster, the manufacturers of traditional medicines in Tamil Nadu will be able to compete in the international market and exports of ‘ayushceuticals and neutraceuticals’ will go up, it is hoped.


Dr V Dharmalingam, chairman of the Tact Cluster, a separate entity formed by the Tamil Nadu Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani manufacturers in the form of a Special Purpose Vehicle, said nearly 60 per cent of the work including construction of building has been completed and order for most modern equipment has been given as per the expectation of Ayush department. The office-bearers of the cluster have assured the department of Ayush that the cluster would be ready for operation before October 2011, he told Pharmabiz.


For the project, the Union government has allotted Rs.10 crore and out of it Rs.two crore was already released to the company. With the erection of equipment, government will release another Rs.6 crore. The remaining two crores will be given for the finishing work soon after it is over.


The project cost of the cluster is Rs.16.5 crore and the company will mobilize an amount of Rs.6 crore from its members. Dharmalingam said he is now on tour to all the districts of the state to collect the money, more amount is expected from Madurai and Thirunelveli. Special meetings are being arranged for the mobilization and the members will be briefed about how to make use of the cluster and the new guidelines issued by the union government in respect of export of medicines.


While speaking to Pharmabiz, Dr Dharmalingam and his team expressed the hope that the cluster unit would help grow the micro, medium and small scale industries of Tamil Nadu into greater heights. It will enhance the capacity, reduce overheads, improve quality of products and packaging, thereby each small scale unit will be able to enter into export business. The cluster will have all the state-of the-art facilities for testing and analysis, product validation, safety study and manufacture.


“Apart from upgrading the manufacturing technology of ayurvedic drugs, we are developing a facility for the entrepreneurs to compete in the international market, and to develop a research & development centre in the field of ISM products, especially to promote siddha and ayurveda products. Tamil Nadu is the hub of siddha medicine and its production process will get documented through the establishment of this cluster”, the chairman of the cluster said during the interaction.


The Common Facilities for the TACT is developed at Sriperumpudur, the industrial corridor on the Chennai-Bangalore national high way, but it has an administrative office in Anna Nagar in Chennai city. The site at Sriperumpudur was bought for the purpose by TASUDMA (TN Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani Drug Manufacturers Association) for Rs.2 crore two years ago. The cluster at the two acre site will include facilities like laboratories for analytical, pharmacological, toxicological processes, raw-material bank & warehouse, common processing facility, packaging centre, display centre and common training and conference facility.


When Vijay A Mehtha, the president of TASUDMA took the preliminary steps to start the cluster two years ago, he enrolled about 20 ISM companies with GMP facilities as the founder shareholders of the Cluster to comply with the rigid norms of Ayush department. He also sought the services of various experts including Dr N Thirunarayanan, secretary of Centre of Traditional Medicines and Research for technical and other inputs. Vijay Mehta and Dr Thirunarayanan had jointly conducted several meetings of ISM manufacturers to establish the scheme. But now, the president of TASUDMA and other technical persons including CTMR Secretary are being put outside the purview of the company, they complained.