BHUBANESWAR: Vice-president of Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) Prof Pramod Yeole urged Odisha government to initiate measures to attract investments in the pharmaceutical sector.
“There is no significant growth of pharma industry in the state. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are the leading states in terms of revenue generated by pharmaceutical companies and drug manufacturers,” he said at the youth pharma festival here on Saturday.
Stating the growth rate of pharmaceutical industry in India is 15 per cent as compared to global rate of four to six per cent, Prof Yeole said around 10 per cent of the global requirements are fulfilled by India. Around 20 per cent of the generic drugs and around 60,000 types of generic drugs are supplied by the country to 220 nations.
India meets 45 per cent of the requirement of generic drugs in the USA and 25 per cent in the UK. The revenue was $42 million in 2021-22 and is expected to touch $123 million in 2030. It is an opportune time and Odisha must take initiatives to have more pharmaceutical industries, he added.
Director of medical education and training (DMET) Dr Sachidananda Mohanty stressed the quality of education in pharmacy colleges. Instead of opening a number of colleges without quality faculty, the promoters must focus on qualitative education and introduction of add-on courses in addition to regular courses, he said.
Among others, drugs controller Ashok Kumar Patra, additional DMET Dr Umakant Satapathy and chairman of Odisha Pharmacy College Association Satyanarayana Babu spoke.