Torrent Pharma plans to invest Rs 475 crore in Sikkim, Dahej

Torrent Pharmaceuticals, is eying the regulated drug markets like the US from its upcoming formulations facility in the Dahej special economic zone(SEZ), while its other formulations manufacturing set-up in Sikkim is expected to come on stream by October 2010.

Dahej SEZ is a 50:50 joint venture between Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and ONGC. Already 28 companies have firmed up their plans of setting manufacturing units in the area. "We will invest around Rs 350 crore in the Dahej SEZ and have already started work on land development there.The acquisition process is complete. The facility will take around three to three and a half years to come up", said Sanjay Dalal, chief operating officer, Torrent Pharma.

Meanwhile, the company's Sikkim project is well on track and will start commercial production with a capacity of 350 crore tablets per annum from the middle of next fiscal. The company has invested around Rs 125 crore on the six acre facility in Sikkim.

Currently, Torrent has seven discovery projects in pipeline. It has filed 336 patents for NCE’s in all major markets worldwide, of which 144 patents have been granted so far. Torrent’s manufacturing plant at Chhatral has a capacity to manufacture approximately 3,000 million Tablets, capsules and vials and 15000 kgs of Bulk Drugs/API. The facility has already been approved by authorities from regulated markets like US, UK, Germany, Australia and South Africa.

The manufacturing plant at Baddi has a capacity to manufacture 3,600 million tablets, 150 million capsules, 10 million Oral Liquid bottles and 12 million sachets per annum. Torrent Pharma with a turnover of over Rs 1600 crore is the flagship company of the Rs 6400 crore Torrent Group.