The Pharma City project the Telangana government has proposed to develop on the outskirts of Hyderabad will be one of the most well planned industrial parks globally, Industries Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said here on Friday.
Addressing a national seminar organised by Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (India), as part of its silver jubilee, he said Singapore firm, Surbana Jurong, that had been entrusted the task of preparing the Master Plan, has incorporated a host of physical and social infrastructure aspects.
If all of them are implemented, the Hyderabad Pharma City will be “talked about for generations,” he said. For the industry, which though well developed and established in Telangana continued to face infrastructure challenges at some of the locations, the Pharma City would translate into a manifold growth opportunity.
Urging industry not to miss the opportunity, he said industry and government needed to work together on various aspects of the project, including planning, financing of the infrastructure besides operation and maintenance of the facilities.
Environment clearance
BDMA (I) National President Jayant Tagore, speaking to presspersons later, said the industry had been given to understand by the government that the environment clearance for the Pharma City would be received by August. Several pharmaceutical manufacturers, he added, had put their expansion projects on hold as they were keen on setting up operations at the Pharma City.
Integrated facility
The Chief Minister, he said, was understood to have instructed officials to acquire 18,000 acres for the project, as against the 12,000 acres proposed so far, towards creation of an integrated facility. Hailing such a move, he said the Bulk Drug manufacturers would like the State government to start work on the project in phases since around 6,000 acres had already been acquired.
On when the pharma units within the Outer Ring Road would shift outside, Mr. Tagore said this would take around 8-10 years since the process of getting approvals from the regulators (such as USFDA) was time consuming.
Estimating the number of pharma units that would be required to relocate to be around 100, he said the State government had also assured that the units in Hyderabad would not be asked to shut down until infrastructure at the Pharma City is ready, manufacturing is started at the new location and all the approvals obtained from the regulators, he said. A host of other units figuring in the Red and Orange categories of polluting units would be required to relocate. Addressing the seminar, Pharmexcil chairman Madan Mohan Reddy underscored the need for the different associations of the pharma industry to make join representation on the issues of concern.
