The 66th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC), a prestigious annual event for stakeholders in the industry as well as the officials of regulatory agencies that began here on Friday, saw three Ministers hard-selling Telangana as an ideal investment destination.
It was on a combination of achievements that made Hyderabad a bulk drug manufacturing hub in India and the State government proposals that they sought to catch the attention of the delegates at the Congress. The Congress is being conducted in the backdrop of foreign regulators initiating action against a few pharma firms. Restoring the industry’s image is one of its focuses.
Addressing the opening session, Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao said life sciences was one of the core areas for growth identified by the government. A pharma city on 11,000 acres near here was the flagship of the pharma policy, he said, adding a smart city for employees of the units there would also be developed.
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Assuring against any infrastructure problems, he said a four-lane expressway would link the pharma city and the airport. He said industry was doing a favour by investing here and hence the government approach was one where the investor gets the required approvals as a matter of right.
“Red tape is totally banished,” Industries Minister Jupally Krishna Rao declared, pointing out that the State was rolling out red carpet for investors. It was keen on the industry growth – 30 per cent of bulk drugs made in the country and 40 per cent of Indian pharma exports were from Telangana. Deputy Chief Minister T. Rajaiah invited investors to make Telangana a home for their incubation and research and development facilities.
IPC Association president Venkat Jasti urged the government to involve all the concerned while formulating policies. The industry was going through tough times due to certain recent events, he said in an obvious reference to action initiated by foreign regulators. Such actions, he added, were based on misperceptions.
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He called for a world pharma trade centre to be set up in Hyderabad, measures to push Telangana up from its third position in drug manufacturing and speeding up of the pharma city project.
Chairman of IPC organising committee Ravi Uday Bhaskar said the Centre and States should appoint only technically qualified persons as Drug Controllers.
Industry is doing a favour by investing here and hence the government approach is one where the investor gets the required approvals as a matter of right
– K.T. Rama Rao
IT Minister