As part of the efforts to enter into marketing field, starting from C&F agency, the Tamil Nadu Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PMA) will hold a meeting of high-level office-bearers in Chennai next week to discuss the prospects of developing an industry cluster as the basic step of the scheme.

“The cluster is likely to be set up somewhere near Koyambedu where the mofussil bus terminus is situated. It will link Koyambedu and Alathur pharmaceutical estate, located in Kanheepuram district, where manufacturing hubs of several MSMEs are operating,” said sources close to the association.

For the development of the cluster, PMA will find out twenty companies to join together and float one private limited marketing company for registration.

“The cluster approach will help promote and develop the marketing business in a big way. For that we are now engaged in finding out manufacturers to form a common holding company (joint stock company). For the purpose we need twenty companies. We are not sure how many of the members will support and join together. Next step is to mobilize money for investment. Twenty per cent of the total project cost we should raise, rest will be funded by the government,” said B Sethuraman, president of association.

He clarified that the location of the cluster has not been identified, but the area of the project will consist of warehouse facility and other infrastructure. These matters will be discussed in the high-level office-bearers meeting next week. The cluster will get a focused attention for the purpose of stocking finished goods, market assistance, raw materials supply, technical advice and would be linked up with Alathur pharma estate.

A proposal for the cluster will be submitted to the government after the preliminary work is over.