India better-placed than China in pharma: Ranbaxy

India is better positioned than China on various parameters to reach the centre-stage in the global pharma industry, Brian Tempest, chief mentor of Ranbaxy said in Mumbai today.

The country however, needs to address issues like infrastructure and pollution to maintain the momentum. It is moving ahead at a rapid pace in the global arena and has the potential to become a 'global strategic asset' for the pharma industry, Tempest said at a CII-meet on pharmaceutical industry here.

"India's 50% population below 25 years will be its secret weapon in future, while the one-child policy in China will play spoilsport for it...Economic fundamentals are also expected to favour India in the days to come.

Maintaining that all the fundamentals were very strong in India and the regulatory framework has, over the years, changed a lot for the better, he said qualified scientists and engineers have made it a better place for R&D investments.

"However, infrastructure is a potential risk for India and if it does not improve in the next three to four years, it will really limit the growth of the industry," Tempest said.