Mohali Industrial Economic Zone on BTR a boon for pharma industry

Chandigarh: Mohali Industrial Economic Zone (MIEZ) coming up on the Banur-Tepla Road (BTR) spread over 250 acres of land, will be the first of its kind planned industrial park in the region. Its best-in-class infrastructure, connectivity to the international airport, National Highways, skilled workforce, and easy access to vendors and storage facilities make MIEZ-BTR an ideal destination for pharmaceutical players.

“MIEZ-BTR has the connectivity advantage. Its proximity to Mohali and Chandigarh also addresses the concern of a skilled workforce while semiskilled workers will have the advantage of affordable and quality life in and around Banur. Tax exemptions and other benefits from the Government of Punjab will be another boon for MIEZ-BTR,” said Neenu Mittal of Forgo Pharma, Baddi.

While Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, located near Chandigarh, is known for being a hub for pharma bigwigs, the upcoming option in the form of MIEZ-BTR could become a centre of attraction for those interested in putting up their pharma units in the economic zone.

"The major issues which pharma players face, in particular those falling in MSME category, are the problems related to receiving and storing raw materials, shrinking manufacturing process areas, locational constraints of the quality control section, problems of storing finished and rejected drugs etc. Most of them do not have enough space for offices. Pharma MSMEs' need a one-point solution to every issue related to the pharma industry,” said Vaneet Jain of Ultratech Pharmaceuticals, Baddi.

Piyush Kansal, Director of Royale Estate Group (REG), promoter of MIEZ-BTR, talked about the benefits of establishing an enterprise in the planned Industrial zone and said, "Pharmaceutical industries will get a resolution to all issues they face. We will have smooth systems of receiving raw materials and adequate storage for these, elaborate manufacturing process areas, quality control mechanisms etc. MIEZ will provide all these aspects."

Neeraj Kansal, MD, REG said, “MIEZ-BTR will be a state-of-the-art industrial park. It is much suitable for the pharmaceutical cluster. The site of the park is just 21 km away from the International Airport Mohali and in the vicinity of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC). The Industrial Park is powered by wide roads, efficient power supply, common effluent treatment, solid waste management, business and exhibition centre, R&D centre etc.”

“It is true that Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) enjoys the sobriquet of being Asia’s biggest pharmaceutical hub, however, Punjab government is making concerted efforts to promote Mohali as a pharma destination. To attract key players, the state government is coming up with a new industrial policy, looking forward to continuing a lot of incentives and exemptions. Infrastructure facilities like MIEZ BTR will certainly attract pharma investors,” added Ashwani Mehta of Asterisk Healthcare, Una.

Ashish Mittal, also a Director with REG said, "With the growth potential and in a competitive ecosystem, around 115 pharmaceutical companies are already in Mohali and its periphery. An investor under Invest Punjab will have the advantage of a 100 per cent exemption of stamp duty, 100 per cent exemption of electricity duty for seven years, and 100 per cent exemption from property tax. There will be an investment subsidy too.”

Punjab has several bulk drug manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Key Starting Materials (KSM). Several pharma players such as Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries, DSM, Ind-Swift, Nectar Lifesciences and other formulation units have established their base in Mohali. Affordable facilities and regulatory ease will make an infra hub like MIEZ-BTR a bright spot for pharma players. BW