To develop low-cost drugs and medical devices, Uttar Pradesh has roped in Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as knowledge partners.
UP has signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with more than 80 CSIR and DRDO labs for path-breaking R&D on affordable drugs.
The state is setting up a mega 2,000 acres bulk drugs park in Lalitpur district to pitch UP as a hub of pharmaceuticals and medicines devices to cater the domestic and international markets.
These partnerships will foster research on innovative drugs and medical devices for the diagnosis and treatment of severe and chronic diseases in India as well as almost 200 other countries.
Under its pharma sector roadmap, the state is looking to hike its contribution to India’s pharma industry from 2 percent to 10-12 percent. India is the global leader in generic medicines by volume, commanding a 20 percent market share.
However, India imports 80 percent of its domestic medical devices requirement. UP is aiming to cater this huge segment by ramping up its manufacturing capabilities.
The domestic pharmaceutical industry, valued at $42 billion in 2021, is estimated to touch $130 billion by 2030. Pharma shipments from India are valued at $25 billion while India ranks among the top three globally in terms of producing medicines by volume.
So far, the state has allocated 2,350 acres for the mega manufacturing parks in Lalitpur, Pilibhit and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) districts.
The 2,000 acres Lalitpur pharma park is the flagship project of the Yogi Adityanath dispensation. It will be dedicated to bulk drugs, starting/raw materials and active pharmaceuticals under the new UP Pharma Policy 2023.
The state has signed up Adani Gas for supplying piped natural gas (PNG) to the Lalitpur drug park.
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Besides, a medical devices park over 350 acres in Sector 28 of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in Greater Noida is also proposed to position UP as a leading medical hub in South Asia.