Hyderabad / New Delhi, July 15 (FN Representative) R K Agrawal, President of the Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association of India (BDMA), emphasised the need for a strategic shift in manufacturing from volume to value, highlighting the critical role of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with its scientific capabilities and infrastructure in collaboration with the industry. Addressing the inaugural session of the “One Week One Theme” (OWOT) program organised by CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) in Hyderabad on Monday, Agrawal recounted the success story of the Indian pharmaceutical industry and the indigenous manufacturing of generic drugs, which has positioned India at the center of the global pharma industry.
He also mentioned BDMA’s initiatives in skill development, technology and software upgradation, and the establishment of modern manufacturing units incorporating flow chemistry. Dr Sriram, the Theme Director and Director of CSIR-CLRI, spoke about the program’s focus on five verticals: Agro and Pharma, Specialty and Fine Chemicals, Marine and Special Inorganic Chemicals, Polymers, and Bulk Manufacturing. Guest of honor Prof Javed Iqbal, Director of Cosmic Industries, highlighted the detrimental impact of the country’s reliance on imports for raw materials on the sector’s growth.
In his welcome address, Dr D Srinivasa Reddy, Director of CSIR-IICT, underscored the pivotal role of chemistry in everyday life and expressed hope that the interactions and suggestions from the programme would pave the way forward for the sector. Sister lab directors Dr K Srinivasan (CSIR-CSMCRI) and Dr. A Tiwari (CSIR-NEIST) stressed the importance of the chemical sector as a feeder for all industries and the need for effective reverse engineering and achieving critical parameters for chemical processes. The event also featured a technical session with short presentations by CSIR scientists on the achievements of their respective labs in the sector. An interactive session and lab tour were organised to educate local school and college students, which received an overwhelming response.