Even as the Kerala pharmaceutical manufacturing units continue to remain unsupported by government and struggle to do their bit for the healthcare system in the state, the Tamil Nadu branch of the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (TN IDMA) has now stepped in for their help.

The TN IDMA will help the neighbouring state’s pharma manufacturing firms to improve the efficiency to boost their manufacturing capacity and competitiveness by sharing business strategies and adjoining them with the Tamil Nadu IDMA branch. Gradually, the Kerala pharma manufacturers will become members of IDMA and a unit will be formed in the state when sufficient members are enrolled.

To begin with, TN IDMA will invite them to attend the workshop on good manufacturing practices (GMP) being organised on February 19 and provide them linkages to innovate and commercialise their business.

The proposal to link up with the Kerala firms was presented in the Annual General Body of the IDMA held in Mumbai last month by M Rajaratinam, chairman of TN IDMA. According to sources from IDMA, the proposal mooted by Rajaratinam was well accepted by the AGM and was endorsed by everybody.

“Once they become members of IDMA, they can attend all the workshops, seminars, training programs, exhibitions, buyer-seller meets, etc. We invite them to associate with our organisation in the beginning and gradually take membership with IDMA. I have done a preliminary talk with KPMA president and a letter of invitation will be sent to them this week. We also welcome them to attend the GMP workshop conducted by us in association with FICCI on the 19th of this month in Chennai”, said Rajaratinam.

When contacted, Dr KG. Revikumar, Director of Kerala Institute of Drug Studies ( KIDS), who had earlier conducted some training programmes for the manufacturers in Kerala with the support of the government with a view to develop the pharma SMEs, said the idea put forward by TN IDMA will help the Kerala firms to become part of the national organisation, and thereby the SME units in the state can know the ins and outs of the issues. Further, they can share their problems with members of IDMA from various states in the country, especially from Tamil Nadu.

Welcoming the decision of the Tamil Nadu branch, N Purushothaman Nambudiri, president of Kerala Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (KPMA) said his organisation is waiting for the official invitation.  He said earlier IDMA had no consideration for the small scale pharma units in the country and a change to this view happened when SV Veeramani became the president of the organisation, who always acted as an advocate of SMEs. Nambudiri expressed the hope that most of the firms in the state could become members of IDMA, and a branch could be opened in Kerala too.

Kerala has at present around 40 manufacturing units and majority of them are doing contract manufacturing services.