Pharma expo focuses on R&D and exports

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar announced the setting up of the first medical device industry park in Gujarat The Dollar Business Bureau

The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Ananth Kumar visiting the India Medical Expo-2016, an exhibition for medical electronics and device sector, in Bengaluru on January 07, 2016. The Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, the Minister for Health, Karnataka, Shri U.T. Khader and the Minister for Medical Education, Karnataka, Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil are also seen

The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar at the India Medical Expo-2016 in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The India Pharma Expo being held in Bangalore is aimed at increasing overall growth of the pharmaceutical sector including exports and focuses on increasing domestic production. The three-day international exhibition and conference also strives to encourage ‘Make in India’ for manufacturing drugs and pharma machines and also provides a platform to global investment community to connect with stakeholders. Speaking at inaugural session of the conference, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar said that the government is working on removing bottlenecks faced by the industry. “To compete with other countries, production cost of drugs has to be brought down and for this purpose, government is coming up with pharma clusters/parks where common facilities and infrastructure will be provided,” an official statement said. The minister also said that the issues of making available credit to companies at affordable rates and continuing the income tax exemptions for research and development (R&D) activities will be taken up with the Finance Ministry. For skill development and supply of manpower, a dozen of NIPERs (National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) are being set up, of which 8 are already functional, he added. On the implementation of Katoch Committee report on bulk drugs, he said that his ministry has already accepted the recommendations and inter-ministerial consultations are going on. He also announced the setting up of a medical device industry park in Gujarat. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said that the government is taking several steps to ensure medicines to be available at affordable cost and stressed on increased R&D and innovation in the sector. Secretary, department of pharmaceuticals, V K Subburaj, in his address, called upon the industry to diversify products and set up facilities in different states rather than being concentrated in four states. Subburaj also asked the industry to comply with international quality standards.

January 08, 2016 | 03:40pm IST

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The Dollar Business Bureau - Jan 08, 2016 10:08 IST

Pharma expo focuses on R&D and exports

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