Covid vaccine glass tubing maker SCHOTT invest 70 mn euro in Gujarat plant

Leading German specialty glass maker SCHOTT Glass India has announced an additional investment of 70 million euros to expand its Gujarat tubing plant that already makes FIOLAX glass used in Covid-19 vaccine packaging in India.

According to the company, almost 95 per cent of Covid-19 vaccines in India are packed in glass tubing made by SCHOTT at its plant in Jambusar, Gujarat. In the wake of German Ambassador to India Walter J Lindner's visit to the plant, SCHOTT Glass India's Managing Director Pawan Shukla reiterated the announcement of an additional investment of 70 million euros in the plant, following several million in investments over the last few years.

"It (the German Ambassador's visit) gave us an opportunity to showcase a successful example of know-how and transfer of technology (TOT) from Germany to India. We have recently announced an investment of 70 million euro in the site to set up additional glass melting tanks and ensure adequate supply to the Indian pharma industry as well as neighbouring countries," said Shukla

The tubing plant in Gujarat is the Asian manufacturing hub of high-quality pharma glass tubing. It has also been a frontrunner in the fight against Covid-19 and provided pharmaceutical glass for primary packaging to fill billions of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide. In India, almost all approved vaccines are packed in FIOLAX glass made by SCHOTT, which has been the gold standard for pharmaceutical packaging for more than a century.

According to SCHOTT, the material is best suited for vaccines and life-saving medications, as it avoids the interactions between containers and the drug formulation that can limit its effectiveness.

Post his visit, German Ambassador to India Walter J. Lindner said that any vaccination program across the globe would’ve been very difficult without SCHOTT glass.

"In fact not many people know that SCHOTT glass is responsible for almost 95 per cent of Covid-19 vaccine packaging in India. I want to congratulate the SCHOTT team here as they promote a product that is German high quality and produced in India," he added.

Earlier this year in August, Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine producer and manufacturer of highly effective biologics, has bought the 50% stake in the Indian joint venture SCHOTT Kaisha from former co-owners Kairus Dadachanji and Shapoor Mistry. The joint venture is the leading Indian manufacturer of pharma packaging products such as vials, syringes, ampoules, and cartridges used to package life-saving medications.