Special zones for pharma products to be set up: Azad

The government is planning to set up special zones for pharma products at international cargo terminals, according to union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

He told reporters at the opening ceremony of the zonal FDA Bhavan in Mumbai that the government was planning to set up zones for pharma products at international cargo terminals. These new zones would ensure appropriate storage condition, testing facility and custom clearances, he added.

He said the initiative would further boost exports from India. He added that the government was in the process of expanding the zonal and sub-zonal network throughout the country and in the next financial year, the number of zones would increase from the present 8 to 15. He added that this would help the industry in obtaining regulatory approvals faster.

According to the minister, the annual production of pharmaceutical products in the country was worth Rs90,000 crore of which exports accounted for about Rs39,000 crore.

He added that to bring about transparency and good governance, e-governance measures would be deployed at the office of the Drug Controller General of India and the entire network of zonal and sub zonal offices, which would not only reduce time for transaction, but also ensure confidentiality.

Azad invited the corporate sector to invest in medical education in the country.