New Delhi, May 15, 2016: The Modi government’s much touted campaign – ‘Make in India’ and the Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy’s (DIPP) efforts to push ‘Ease of doing Business’ have started paying dividends with Special Economic Zones (SEZs) becoming the most favourite investment destinations. The latest among the recent investments, a Gujarat based SEZ attracted Rs 100 crore investment for a Pharma sector Research and Development (R&D) Centre.
A state-of-the-art R&D centre ‘Navin Saxena Research & Technology’(NSRT), Clinical research organization – ‘Quest Care’ and a specialised manufacturing unit for transdermal patches was launched today at the Kandla SEZ. The facility, owned by parent company Rusan Pharma Ltd, is the only one in the country to manufacture Nicotine transdermal patches in India. Set up in alignment with the PM’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, it is expected go a long way in making the Kandla SEZ vibrant and investor-friendly.
The new establishment at Kandla houses three subsidiaries, namely the Navin Saxena Research and Technology (NSRT) Centre, Quest Care which is the company’s clinical research organisation and Rusan’s dedicated Transdermal Patch Facility. Together, these three units will handle the myriad aspects of addiction and pain management drug manufacture and export as a part of their portfolio, including research and innovation, licensing, IPR, patenting, quality assurance. They offer immense employment opportunities not only to the local population but also to highly qualified scientists from India and abroad.
A senior official of DIPP said, “Things are moving forward and fast. The government is sensitive about the immediate requirements of the investors. For Pharma sector regulations and rules are being simplified and streamlined. An investor-friendly policy is already in place.”
NSRT is a dedicated R&D facility that has state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Research at NSRT will focus on pain, addiction, CNS and orphan diseases, drug delivery and platform technologies. It has been set up with a vision to develop, register and license its new products to third parties. It also aims to undertake contract research and joint development projects.
Rusan group companies together have a current turnover of Rs 300 crore and intend to grow to 600 crore in 2018. Being the first Indian company to do research on addiction and few orphan disease, they intend to expand their new facility with an investment of Rs 100 crore in next year.
Dr. Navin Saxena, Chairman & Founder of Rusan Pharma Ltd, said, “With our continuous efforts and innovation we are proud to announce the biggest government & private Indian company deal between Brazil Health Ministry & Rusan Pharma Ltd for USD 20million per annum for their program for smoking cessation.”
Innovation is key for success. In the present economic climate investor want something relevant to today’s needs. Transdermal patches, the first to be manufactured indigenously by Rusan in India, fall in that niche. “This facility is the answer to the hunt for new research and medicines by global investors. We invite them to visit us and see it for themselves,” Dr Saxena added.
Mr Kunal Saxena, Managing Director of Rusan Pharma Ltd, “Rusan and NSRT are dedicated to develop and deliver innovative products to the patients. And we are the largest and reputed suppliers of life saving drugs (Buprenorphine, Methadone and anti-TB drugs) to UNODC / UNOPS / Global Fund, MoH – Russia, CIS, South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, and Myanmar.”
To push collaborative research, a multi-party memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on the occasion. A MoU was signed between NSRT, Moscow State University (Russia), Symbiosis College Pune, the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and IIT Kanpur. “The MoU highlights NSRT’s commitment to collaborative research. This would further flare up reverse brain drain for Indian students,” Dr Saxena said.
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
