India Seeks 'Win-win' Drug Tie-up with China

Dec. 17, 2010
A 'Chindia' partnership means that by working together China and India could 'meet almost all global generic requirements,' says Indian Drug Manufacturers' Assoc.

India's top drug manufacturing association on Dec. 15 urged Chinese pharmaceutical companies to cooperate in a "win-win" partnership to supply global generic medicine needs. The call came as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao began a trip to India, accompanied by 400 Chinese business executives, aimed at fostering burgeoning trade and repairing ties dogged by persistent disputes over shared borders.

Daara Patel, secretary general of the Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association, told his Chinese counterparts in New Delhi a "Chindia" partnership meant "together we could meet almost all global generic requirements."

In recent years, the two countries have become major suppliers of low-cost medicines and medicine ingredients to global markets and their products are widespread in the generic and over-the-counter sector. China now produces large volumes of pharmaceutical ingredients while India is strong in manufacturing finished drug products such as anti-depressants, antibiotics and heart medicines.

"A strategic partnership will cover the gaps in production for each other," Patel said.

Collaboration between India and China will give both nations a "strategic edge over the developed countries," said Patel.

Liu Zhanglin, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, welcomed the Indian group's call. "We agree we can work together to expand the global market and provide manufacturing tenders in partnership rather than competing," Liu said.

The Indian group also announced the two sides have drafted an accord to be signed next month under which they will give each other more information and guidance about import regulations and marketing in their respective companies.

The agreement comes as India seeks to promote its pharmaceutical and information technology exports to China. Bilateral trade stands at $60 billion, a 20-fold increase since 2000, but is massively in China's favor.

Bilateral trade in health care products totaled the $3.1 billion for the first 10 months of the year, the Chinese delegation said, without breaking down the figures, up from $2.8 billion for all of 2009.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!