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Giving a ray of hope to the sinking pharmaceutical units in the state, the Kerala State Planning Board (KSPB) has decided to frame a long term strategy to develop the pharmaceutical sector in Kerala.
Apart from pharma, the strategy comprises projects for the growth and expansion of the industrial sectors of biotechnology, life sciences, and medical-equipment manufacturing. In total, a comprehensive and healthy strategic plan will be prepared to elevate the areas of disease management into new heights, as per the vision of the government, sources informed.
“Kerala has a huge demand for medicines, medical equipments & devices, neutraceuticals, functional food and products of biotechnology. Government wants to develop these areas by giving all support to the manufacturers of these products. That is for a comprehensive strategy required to be developed”, sources informed.
The priority areas include raising the production of generic medicines to support the state government scheme, Kerala Generics, which was started as a parallel scheme against the centrally sponsored Jan Aushadhi project, Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana. Government wants to popularize Kerala Generics throughout the country as a brand.
With this vision in mind, KSPB started a series of workshops and trainings to the members of pharma industry and allied sectors. The first workshop was held in Thiruvananthapuram on August 24, which was attended by members of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and neutraceutical companies working in the state.
The workshop was aimed to assess the possibilities of Kerala in the areas of pharma, biotechnology and medical equipment. It also discussed certain specific segments of these sectors where the state has the potential to build a competence. Discussion was held for improving the potential and standard of the PSU, Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (KSDP), measures for the proposed Pharma Park and how to revive the closed units in the private sector, said M Purushothaman Nampoothiri, president of KPMA, who attended in the meeting.
Sources from KSPB informed, “Kerala State Planning Board is organizing a series of workshops to discuss strategic plans for various industrial sectors in Kerala, including pharma sector. This is part of a process to evolve a long-term industrial strategy for the state. The government is committed to building a strong and dynamic manufacturing sector in the state. Revival of manufacturing PSUs in the state is also a priority area for the state’s industrial growth”.
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