Govt support a must to survive: IDMA

BANGALORE, INDIA: Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) fears that if the government does not support the pharma firms in the country, they will not be able to grab the potential opportunities that would arise when almost $30-40 billion drugs become off-patented in the next 3-4 years worldwide.

IDMA secretary general Daara Patel in a an interview with PTI said the industry may face fierce competition from China and Brazil as both nations are gearing up for a pie.

“Competition is very high and countries like Brazil and China in the fray. It's going to be an uphill task for us. But if we have proper infrastructure in place, work in unison and get proper support from the government I don't think we will lag behind,” he said.

Also read: Pharma cos heavily investing in e-data systems

Despite the fact that Chinese API (Active Pharma Ingredient or Bulk Drugs) material is not as good as Indian APIs, other nations are tempted to buy them due to the price advantage.

“The government should support the industry in terms of providing better facilities for R&D. They must support the API industry, which is not happening. Today we are facing heat from China despite the fact that Chinese material is not as good as Indian ones in APIs,” he explained.

IDMA submitted a paper to the Union Government in which the pharma body requested that land should be provided to them at a cheaper price like China does, while interest rates and transaction cost should also be brought down.



Waste water mgmt a headache for AP pharma SMEs

The Association also urged support from the government in setting up affluent treatment plants.

To a query on Foreign Direct Investments, Patel said 100 per cent FDI in the sector should be allowed, but with riders.

“If we want funds, if we want to be seen in the global arena as fair competitors, if we do not want to be bothered by the WTO rules we should allow FDIs. But certain checks and balances have to be in place,” he concluded.