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Kamal Prasad Mundhra
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Kolkata-based pharmaceutical company Albert David, a unit of the Kothari group, has recently undertaken a range of initiatives for development of new products for increasing its market share in formulation segment to achieve sustained growth in the current fiscal year.
“In the current fiscal, we have introduced new products and would be soon adding more brands to expand our product offerings,” said Kamal Prasad Mundhra, Executive Director, Albert David. “We also plan to launch a separate marketing division to consolidate our position in the domestic market,” he said.
Albert David, which makes pharmaceutical formulations, bulk drugs and injections, has three manufacturing plants — in Kolkata (for tablets and powder, small volume parenterals, oral liquids, bulk drugs), Ghaziabad (for IV fluids in glass and polythene containers using the latest Form-Fill-Seal (FFS) technology and small volume parenterals) and Mandideep (disposable syringes & needles).
In the last fiscal, the company, touched a turnover of Rs 264 crores and is expecting to touch Rs 300 crores in the current year. The company has successfully launched Anaflam TH4/TH8 (skeletal muscle relaxant), Alamin RG/RGX (L-Arginine Sachets) and ADILAN (Isoxsuprine Tab / Inj), which it feels will tilt the balance in its favour.
Soon, the company plans to further strengthen its gastro range of products by launching Rebeprazole and its combination. We also have plan to venture into anti-asthmatic, infertility, paediatric and nutraceuticals.
Mundhra said efforts are on to generate new scientific data and expand our knowledge base to further substantiate the therapeutic principles of its 56-year-old flagship product – ‘Placentrex.’
He said, “The company has given much thrust on its research and development initiatives. The company has made significant investments in renovating, virtually re-creating, expanded R&D facility at its Kolkata site. Renovated facility meets the current GMP and GLP requirements. The R&D section of the company has been engaged in developing innovative process developments, analytical methods and process validations. It has also been working on development of new products, while at the same time focusing on improving the quality of its existing products.”
In the coming days, the company plans to tap the international market in a bigger way. Exports will remain to be a key driver for growth of the company in the coming years. Last year, our exports touched Rs 25-crore mark, Mundhra added. African nations, Vietnam, Myanmar are the major markets of the company.
Commenting on the Indian pharma industry, he said it is an extremely fragmented market with severe price competition and government price control.
But inspite of these, Albert David will continue to grow with the current strategies in place and is equipped to meet any future challenges, he added.
EP Team – Kolkata