TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Key industry players suggest that ‘pharma industry’ is a good alternative to the mining industry, pointing out that Goa could emerge as the pharma capital of India.
“Second only to Gujarat, Goa is already a hub of the pharma industry and we have the best state-of-the-art units here,” said Salim Veljee of the Goa unit of the Indian Pharmaceuticals Association (IPA), while addressing a press conference in Panjim Monday.
Veljee pointed out that there are already 72 pharma units engaged in manufacturing pharmaceutical products, while another 175 are engaged in contract manufacturing of such products. Most of the units are located at Verna, Pilerne, Kundaim and Colvale.
Goa exports pharma products to the tune of Rs 5000 crore and within the next five years the output could go up to between Rs 7000 and Rs 10,000 crore,” said Veljee pointing out that the growth rate is around 15 to 20 per cent per annum.
He further disclosed that customers prefer to do business with Goa’s pharmaceutical units due to their consistency in quality and reliability.
The IPA Goa unit pointed out that the government of Goa is very keen and should encourage new pharma units in Goa as they meet its requirement of non-polluting and job oriented enterprises which suit the needs of the locals. The association however urged the government to look into issues concerning infrastructure requirements such as power supply, water and land availability to enable setting up of more pharma units in Goa.
Veljee pointed out that notifying of MPT Port for exporting pharma products is a big boost to the industry in Goa.
Suresh Kamat, Vice President of the Goa Pharma Products Manufacturing Association also said that the government has been urged to provide hostel facilities for staff, particularly ladies, in pharma units as the staff works in three shifts.
Presently Goa’s two pharmacy colleges ~one in Panjim and Ponda are unable to meet the human resource requirement owing to which personnel from outside Goa are engaged by pharma units.
Anant Naik, Secretary of the IPA, Goa unit also said that most of the pharma products manufactured in Goa are exported to the US and Europe.
