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Generic dealer GFF in Jharkhand to embark on marketing in West Bengal, Bihar and Chattisgarh
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
December 27 , 2023
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To increase the business pursuits in the eastern part of the country, the two decades old, 'Generic Family Foundation (GFF)', the association of generic drug marketers in the state of Jharkhand, has decided to expand its marketing activities to the nearby states of Chattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal from January 2024 onwards.
To fulfill the strategy, GFF will absorb pharma marketers from the neighboring states, and the terms and conditions will include that only generic versions of the pharmaceuticals should be marketed to the wholesalers and retailers. The generic drug business will be on the lines the Jan Aushadhi Stores of the central government but no competition in between, according to Manish Kumar Varma, president of the association.
Started in Ranchi in 2004 with a small range of products, GFF now has almost all categories of drugs in its market basket. The leading manufacturers like Cipla, Ranbaxy, Sun Pharma, Cadila etc are supplying quality generics to GFF which has direct dealing with over 40 C&Fs in Ranchi representing various companies. Manish said more than 200 companies including big and small produce generic medicines for the 350 member-marketers of the association.
"We market tablets, capsules, injections, ointments, syrups, tonics and even all kinds of neutraceuticals in their generic forms to the wholesalers and retailers of the 26 districts in the state of Jharkhand for the last 21 years. Ours is a registered organization with members dealing in generic business. Our price is 30 to 40 per cent less than the MRP. But it is equal to that of the Jan Aushadhi products. However, we have no competition from the JAS stores who are supplying mostly to the government institutions. Our members also supply to government hospitals in certain districts," Varma said.
When asked whether they encounter any challenge in their business, the GFF president said marketing of generic medicines is always a challenge in the midst of popular brands. But in their case all their generic products carry brand names which are marketed as branded generics. The companies whose generic brands and market brands have different prices and MRPs. But both are similar in quality wise and marketed by separate marketers. GFF members market only generic brands and other dealers engage in established branded products. He said his marketing company, Sukhdaha Drugs Distributors, is in the business field for the last 21 years and dealing in generics.
He said manufacturers of major brands for lifestyle diseases are also supplying their generic versions at reduced prices to the members of GFF. The association is supplying the products only to their approved customers. As part of the expansion plan, GFF will appoint their marketing teams in Bihar, Chattisgarh and West Bengal in January next year.
Responding to their business activities in the state, the JDC of Jharkhand, Sumanta Kumar Tiwari told Pharmabiz that in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the country there is an upsurge in the use of generic medicines recently. Last week he inaugurated a generic drug store in Guwahati in Assam and next week three such stores will be opened in Tripura. Tiwari said the new generation medicine consumers prefer generic medicines to established brands. Similarly, a lot of companies are focusing on generic manufacturing rather than going with their old brands.
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