National Centre for R & D in Bulk Drugs to be set up in NIPER Hyderabad

Union Ministry of Chemical and Fertilisers decided on 14 July 2014 to set up National Centre for Research & Development in Bulk Drugs (NCRDBD) at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad.

The NCRDBD will fill the crucial existing gap in Research and Development in bulk drugs. The total cost of setting up NCRDBD will be over 52 crore rupees and will have an operating cost of over 37 crore rupees for five years.

Some Characteristic Features of NCRDBD

• The NCRDBD would be an innovative R&D provider in the field of bulk drugs
• It will offer competitive and eco-friendly technologies in specified areas products and processes
• It will also provide centralized research facilities and technologies, analytical facilities and consulting services for process improvement and optimization
• It would give special emphasis to the empowerment of MSME sector

Why the Need?

The performance of Bulk Drug sector is one of the critical factors that affect the overall efficiency and cost competitiveness of the pharmaceutical sector. There are nearly 2500 bulk drugs manufacturing units in India.

The estimated turnover of the Bulk Drug Industry in 2012-13 was around 12.5 billion US dollars. The industry has a share of about 10 percent of the global bulk drugs market of about 110 billion US dollars.

However, the import of Bulk Drugs has seen a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 percent during 2011 to 2013 compared to 17 percent CAGR in domestic production of Bulk Drugs. This indicates an increasing level of dependence on international supply. This is further compounded by the fact that more than 60 percent share in imports of Intermediate for Active PIs is from a single country.

The NCRDBD will be set up to urgently address these concerns and make the industry cost competitive. In Bulk Drug Industry, the reduced processes and improved technology can help in reducing the cost significantly.

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