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Indian pharma industry is highly innovative, set to grow 5 times in coming years: Dr V K Subburaju
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennnai
November 26 , 2014
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The pharmaceutical industry in India is highly innovative and set to
achieve five times growth in the coming years. With its present
potential, the industry will continue to play a more significant role as
an innovative manufacturing leader, according to Dr VK Subburaju,
secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Pharmaceutical industry
is a knowledge-based industry which carries a major role in the
healthcare management system and continues to be a strong contributor of
jobs to myriad number of pharmacy, biotechnology and other healthcare
professionals in the country, besides posting growing revenues. It is
expected to see rapid growth in coming years supported by increasing
demand for drugs for curing various diseases. India’s drugs are making
impacts all over the world now.
The pharmaceutical secretary was
delivering a lecture as chief guest in a function organized as part of
the National Pharmacy Week celebration in Chennai.
Although the
progress of Indian pharma industry is commendable, the sector is facing
many challenges including lack of security for the imported bulk drugs,
medical devices and its complex position due to the control of more than
one department. India was importing drugs for major diseases from other
countries till the end of 1940s. But the situation in the drug sector
changed later, and now Indian made drugs are being exported to foreign
countries. About 220 countries in the world have the medicinal presence
of India. The total drug production in the country is worth around Rs.180,000 crore today, he said.
According
to him, the need of the hour is to focus on invention of new drugs and
vaccines. Biotechnology should also be encouraged for more researches
which will accept the services of potential pharmacists. The area of
biotechnology has high potential for job opportunities, and institutions
in the national level need to be developed in order to produce
competent professionals in that field. He said a special ‘task force’
has been formed to work out the strategy for developing biotechnology.
Likewise, in the pharmaceutical industry area another task force has
been formed to study the problems of the bulk drugs industry and the
safety of the imported bulk drugs.
He said India has to
strengthen the area of vaccine production immensely as the country has
only six vaccines which are available in almost all the countries. There
are about 30 vaccines available in the world for curing various
diseases. More innovations are required for inventing vaccines and new
drugs for curing diseases like those which have no cure at all. The
manufacturing companies which are investing more on R&D for new
molecules can create waves in the world, said Dr Subburaju who was
previously the principal secretary of Tamil Nadu.
IDMA chairman,
SV Veeramni said in the meeting that the Tamil Nadu Pharma industry is
not getting due recognition from the government though its contribution
to the health and pharmacy sectors is beyond any limit.
J
Jayaseelan, secretary of TN IPA, which organised the program, elaborated
the role of pharmacists in society and Dr S Chinnaswamy, president of
Tamil Nadu pharmacy council announced the names of award winners. CDSCO
deputy drugs controller Dr S Manivannan, TN drugs controller S Abdul
Khadar and Prof. Revichandran spoke at the meeting.
Former deputy drugs controller in the CDSCO, N Narayana Swami has been awarded the ‘Best Pharmacist of the Year’ 2014.
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