Lupin to expand Vadodara facility

With estimated cost of Rs 270 cr; 1,480 tonnes per annum capacity to be added

Mumbai-based pharma player Lupin Ltd, is all set to expand its Vadodara facility to make bulk drugs for cardiac, anti-infectives, anti-tuberculosis, neurology and other segments. The estimated project cost is around Rs  270 crore.

The Dabhasa plant of Lupin near Vadodara is one of the leading bulk drug manufacturing sites for the company. "The Dabhasa plant is one of our major active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing sites which also exports. It is a US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved facility," informed a senior company official. Meanwhile, the company is planning to expand the unit to add more bulk drugs belonging to the categories of anti-cholesterol, cardiac, neuropathic, respiratory, anti-infectives among others. The company is a leading global manufacturer of anti-tuberculosis bulk drugs like Ethambutol Hydrochloride and Rifampicin.

A company spokesperson confirmed the development. "It is true that we are expanding our facility in Dabhasa, near Vadodara though we haven’t procured any additional land for the stated expansion. Lupin has been investing prudently in expanding our manufacturing operations by setting up new and expanding existing facilities to meet future demand. The company’s capital expenditure stood at Rs  487.1 crore for FY 2013."

According to a senior official in the state government, who confirmed the development, the project cost could be to the tune of Rs  270 crore, and the company proposes to make around eighty different varieties of bulk drugs at the Dabhasa plant. The additional capacity would be to the tune of 1,480 tonnes per annum.

According to data from the IMS Health, therapies like cardiac, anti-diabetics, respiratory, dermatological have clocked a healthy growth during 2013 calendar year.

While the neuro-CNS segment clocked a 9.6 per cent value growth in the Indian market, others like cardiac grew by 11.1 per cent, anti-diabetics by 19.1 per cent, respiratory by 11 per cent, dermatological by 17.7 per cent and gastro-intestinals by 10.2 per cent.