The Centre is mulling setting up the country’s maiden medical devices and pharma parks in Gujarat in a bid to make India self-reliant in the sector. This was stated by Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Ananth Kumar, who sought cooperation from the state government to implement these projects and the latter responded positively in terms of providing land for them.
According to Kumar, though India is doing well in manufacturing pharmaceutical products, it is still not self- reliant in the medical devices sector.
“This is an era of medical devices. But, even today, India is not self-reliant in producing these devices. Thus, we are planning to open first such medical devices park here in Gujarat if the government provides us cheaper land for it,” Kumar said in the presence of Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.
Kumar and MoS in the same Ministry Hansraj Gangaram Ahir were here for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new campus of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Institute (NIPER).
The Gujarat Government has alloted 60 acres for the campus being set up on Chiloda Road at a cost of around Rs 500 crore, stated an official press release. Kumar said a centre of excellence will be started in the institute. “Apart from imparting studies and conducting research and development in the field of pharmaceutical, this institute will also have a centre of excellence for developing new medical devices.”
The Minister also announced government’s plans to set up the first-ever drug discovery centre and a pharmaceutical park in Gujarat.
“This is an era of drug discovery. We are planning to set up India’s first-ever drug discovery centre in Gandhinagar. We are also ready to set up a pharma park in Gujarat.”
He urged the Gujarat government to provide cheaper land to expand the operations of Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology, currently running out of Vatva GIDC area in Ahmedabad and imparting training to around 5,000 youths.
“To expand the operations of CIPET, we need 5 acres of land at Sanand near Ahmedabad. With that new facility, we would be able to double the intake of students.”