SMEs flocking to Himachal

The Himachal Pradesh government is welcoming not just pharmaceutical companies from different parts of the country.

Even upcoming small- and medium-scale units are also flocking to the hill state--shoe manufacturers, carton manufacturers, printing units, aluminium foil manufacturers and garment providers, who are venturing into special processes to make the most of the growing facilities in the state.

Out of the approximately 600 pharmaceutical companies based in Himachal Pradesh, around 200 companies have selected Baddi for future expansion. Leading pharmaceutical companies in the country are also in the process to get clearances, according to an industry analyst.

Regional-secrteary of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industries Association, Arun Rawat informed Business Standard that anicillarization in the pharmaceutical industry was the next big thing. "In Baddi itself there are 6-7 foil manufacturers, 15-20 printing industry, carton and bottle manufacturers, garment industry, safety headgear producers and so on," he said.

Diverisfying in Feb' 2006 to manufacture gloves,secondary dresses (including the lab suit, lab shoes), lab coats, aprons, masks and gloves, Parwano-based Radhika Garments is currently catering to Dr Reddy Laboratories Ltd ,Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd, Pancea Boitech and is looking forward to a 60-70 per cent growth in the year ahead.

"From the current capacity of 4000 pieces per month we will be increasing it to 7,000 pieces in three month period," Dinesh Mehta, managing director of Radhika Garments said . The manufacturer was earlier into lifestyle clothing before entering the segment.

Mohali-based Passion Shoes, which manufactures safety shoes for the pharmcaeutical and chemical industry is providing 1,500 pairs per month out of the total 4,000 shoes manufactured to Glaxo Smith Kline , Ranbaxy, Torque pharmaceutical to name a few. seeing the huge requiremnet in the region the company intends to expand in the current 2500 sq feet factory .

With country's leading players including Sun Pharma, Zydus Cadila, Alkem, Lupin, Glenmark, Alembic, Unichem, Bal Pharma, Charak etc starting their operation in Baddi it is also giving opportunity to both the oganised and the disorganised sector .

Baddi based Foil Pac manufacturing aluminium foils for the pharmaceutcial packing has been in the market for ten years and is expecting the business to grow.