Face2News /UNA (HP)

As a precursor to the planned high-level interaction under the leadership of Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the department of Industries held preparatory meetings in Hyderabad and Mumbai with leading API’s Manufactures, potential Investors and leading Pharma Associations to gauge the intent of Investors and understand their expectations from the upcoming Bulk Drug Park in Una. Leading pharma bodies that partnered these meetings were Bulk Drug Manufacture Association (BDMA), Indian Drug Manufacture Association (IDMA), Pharamexcil and Telangana Association of Pharma and Chemical Industries (TAPCI).

On the directions of  Chief Minister, these preparatory meetings were conducted by the State Govt. delegation led by Shri R. D. Nazeem, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) along with Dr. Yunus, IAS, Director Industries and Shri Tilak Raj Sharma, Additional Director (Industries) and other officials of industries department.

In the meeting, Director Industries made a detailed presentation to showcase the broad contours of the Bulk Drug Park and gave an overview of the Pharma Ecosystem in Himachal Pradesh. He shared that Himachal Pradesh is already home to over 650 pharmaceutical formulation units, including industry leaders such as Alkem Labs, Sun Pharma, Abbott, and Dr. Reddy’s, underscoring the State’s established ecosystem in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

He further shared that the upcoming park is set to cater to an annual API demand exceeding ₹38,000 crore, not only within Himachal Pradesh but also across five neighbouring states—Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir—making it a regional hub for bulk drug production. Spread over 1,405 acres in Haroli tehsil, near the Punjab border, the park offers strategic connectivity along with world-class infrastructure to support end-to-end pharmaceutical manufacturing and allied services. The Key Common Infrastructure Facilities in the park such as CETP with ZLD, Steam and power generation, Hazardous waste management Plant, Warehousing and quality control labs, Centre of Excellence etc.

In both the meetings, more than 150 pharma delegates participated which included leading pharma players such as Dr. Reddy’s, Alkem Labs, Sun Pharma, Abbott, Aurobindo Pharma, Covalent Labs, Torrent Pharma, Mankind Pharma, Mahima Life Sciences and Infrastructure experts such as Thermax and Balaji Infrastructure. The delegates expressed keen interest in setting up manufacturing units in the upcoming park.

During the interactions, potential investors raised specific queries related to operational aspects such as Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) and steam generation charges, emphasizing the need for a transparent and sustainable pricing mechanism. They suggested that the State Government ensure safeguards against any unjustified escalation in utility charges to maintain cost competitiveness.

ACS (Industries) assured all stakeholders that investor concerns are being taken on priority, and a robust framework will be established to provide affordable, reliable, and efficiently managed utilities in the park.

The Bulk Drug Park at Una is being developed with world-class infrastructure, aiming to position Himachal Pradesh as a hub for high-quality API and pharmaceutical manufacturing in India.

A meet was also organised by Department of Industries with the leading player of Cement industries for the upcoming launch of NIT for auctioning two number of lime stones blocks with assistance of SBI CAPS as Transaction Advisor to the State Government. The auction aims to invite private participation in harnessing the state's rich limestone reserves through greenfield and brownfield cement manufacturing projects. This initiative is expected to generate local employment and boost industrial development in the region. Leading Cement players like Ultratech, Adani, Nuvoco Vista etc. participated in this meeting & expressed their interest in bid participation.