Known for ease of doing business, Gujarat is a very fertile land from business perspective, said Dr Hemant G Koshia, Commissioner, Food and Drug Control Administration Department, Government of Gujarat, while speaking at the National Food and Pharma Summit organised recently in Ahmedabad.

“Gujarat is know for its phamaceutical industry. The state is the ‘Pharma Capital of the Nation’. There are more than 4,000 licenced pharma manufacturers and around 37,000 retail pharmacies in Gujarat. It is also the hub of the food processing industry of the country. We have around 2.5 lakh food business operators in the state,” he said.

Dr Hemant KoshiaSaying that Gujarat is known for ease of doing business, Dr Koshia highlighted the achievements of the State through a series of biannual events like Vibrant Gujarat and Global Investors Summit. “Through these events, the Government of Gujarat is promoting different segments and inviting investors to do business here. Gujarat is a very fertile land from business perspective,” Dr Koshia said.

“As a regulator and as part of the government it is our duty to ensure the citizens get safe food and pharmaceuticals through implementation of the Food Regulatory Act in Gujarat. For the food sector, we have the Food Standards Act, and for the pharma sector, we have the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,” he added.

He said that his department works in close colaboration with industry regulators like USFDA and MHRA of UK. “A lot of medicines being manufactured in Gujarat are exported. One-third of the national production of drugs happens in Gujarat and almost 28 per cent of the pharma products are exported to about 175 countries around the world.”

Gujarat has a 109 years of legacy in producing drugs. The state is the largest producer of antibiotic drug ethambutol and the world’s 70 per cent of Isoniazid is produced in Gujarat.

The state is an emerging hub for medical devices manufacturing as well. It is a leading producer of cardiac stents and implants. The country’s 50 per cent of orthopedic iol intraocular lenses are made here.

“Both food and pharma are the technology driven industry. Both are innovative industries. There is a lot of science involved in the day-to-day running of these industries,” Dr Koshia said.

Be a part of Elets Collaborative Initiatives. Join Us for Upcoming Events and explore business opportunities. Like us on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter , Instagram.

Related Exclusive Story


whatsapp--v1