German team to sign 12 MoUs with Indian firms

Cooperation between Germany and India in the biotech and pharma sector is set to get a huge fillip. A German biotechnologies and healthcare delegation, on a visit to India, is looking at signing at least 12 agreements with Indian companies.

"Within a week's time, there are likely to be around 12 MoUs that will be signed by German companies with their Indian counterparts,"Amal K Mukhopadhyay, founder and partner, ageLab pharma GmbH, said.

"We ourselves are looking at setting up at least two diagnostic labs in the country either on a franchisee basis or in collaboration with an Indian company," he added.

"One of the labs will have an investment of around € 2 million," Mukhopadhyay said.

"Hyderabad is one of the potential cities for the proposed labs. ageLab also has a special interest in sourcing raw materials and finished products for wellness and age-related products from India, to be marketed in Europe," he added

Another German pharma company, Altana Pharma AG, that already has a subsidiary in Mumbai "� Altana Pharma Pvt Limited, "� is also planning to expand its services in the country.

"We will be setting up a research and development centre in Mumbai at an investment of € 9.8 million," Volker Figala, managing director, Altana Pharma Pvt Limited, said.

"The 6,000-square metre centre that will focus on medicinal chemical research will be ready by the second half of 2005," he added.

"We will also be increasing our headcount to 120 from the present four by mid 2006," he added.

Switzerland-based speciality pharmaceutical company, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is also looking at establishing a research base in India.

"We are in discussions with two Indian companies for this purpose and there is potential to collaborate with both of them," Peter Wilden, executive vice-president (finance) and chief financial officer, Ferring, said.

Ferring carries out in-house production in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Czech Republic. The company has its own research centres in the UK and the USA and its international service centre and development centre is located in Denmark.

"Ten years ago, bureaucracy was a major hurdle for companies to set up their subsidiaries or research centres in India. But things have improved today," he added.

"This apart, with India moving towards the patent regime, there is greater scope for protection of areas of research," Wilden said.

"So there is likely to be more investment in the biotechnology and pharma sector in India," he added.