Uttar Pradesh government eyes 10-12% share in India's pharma sector

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has earmarked 2,350 acres of land for setting up mega drug parks as part of its ambitious bid to boost manufacturing and make the state a market leader in pharmaceutical and medical devices production.

The proposed manufacturing parks will come up in Lalitpur, Pilibhit, and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) districts.

The government has roped in top scientific institutions, including the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as knowledge partners to develop low-cost drugs and medical devices.

UP has signed memorandums of understanding with more than 80 CSIR and DRDO labs for research and development on affordable drugs.

“These partnerships will foster research on innovative drugs and medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of severe and chronic diseases in India, as well as almost 200 other countries,” a senior government official said.

The 2,000-acre Lalitpur park is the flagship project of the government. It will be dedicated to bulk drugs, starting from raw materials and active pharmaceuticals under the state’s new pharma policy. The state has signed up Adani Gas for supplying piped natural gas to this park.

Another medical devices park in Sector 28 of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in Greater Noida is also proposed to position UP as a leading medical hub in south Asia.

The third medical project entails a modern biotech park in Pilibhit to aid in cutting down on import of fermentation-based goods.

“The state should push ‘Make in UP’ in different sectors to achieve its $1 trillion economy target and boost employment generation to retain the talent pool,” Association of Indian Manufacturers (AIM) national president Manmohan Agarwal told Business Standard.

 Under its pharma sector roadmap, UP aims to increase its contribution to India’s pharma industry from 2 per cent to 10-12 per cent. India is the global leader in generic medicines by volume, commanding a 20 per cent market share.

However, the country imports 80 per cent of its domestic medical devices requirement. UP is aiming to target this huge segment by ramping up its manufacturing capabilities.

The domestic pharmaceutical industry, valued at $42 billion in 2021, is estimated to touch $130 billion by 2030. The pharma shipments from India, ranked among top three globally in terms of producing medicines by volume, are valued at $25 billion.