What are the major achievements of the collaboration between FOPE & IDMA?

FOPE & IDMA share the same vision of working for the welfare of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. FOPE has been helping IDMA in our representations to government officials and Ministers at Delhi on various issues concerning health, commerce and progress of the pharma industry, especially the SMEs.

FOPE has also been considered as a partner for several seminars and exhibitions. Through FOPE, we are able to reach and serve several pharma  manufacturers in North India.

How do you distribute responsibilities while working with FOPE?

FOPE has been taking care of the interest of pharma manufacturers in North India, more so, in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Further, they are also in regular touch with officials from the Ministries at Delhi. We are able to take the support of FOPE in all these responsibilities.

As tax holiday draws to a close, many pharma units are unsure about their future in Baddi. What is IDMA’s role in this scenario?

We in IDMA feel that as good pharma units and facilities have come up in Baddi, thanks to excise duty exemptions, they should not lose their heart. They have good facilities and have developed manufacturing capabilities, which can be used for exports.

Further, they can pursue their role as contract manufacturers since the number of excise free zones in India are coming down and they will be at par with all other contract manufacturers in India. They can excel in their service in providing good quality products at competitive prices.

What are your expectations from 10th Anniversary FOPE conference and exhibition?

FOPE under the dynamic leadership of people like RC Juneja, BR Sikri and Vinod Kalani have been giving excellent service to pharma manufacturers over the last 10 years. We feel that during the occasion of 10th Anniversary of FOPE Conference and Exhibition at Baddi, pharma manufacturers in Baddi will have an excellent opportunity to showcase their capability and expertise, so as to raise to the next level.

The GMP seminar arranged during the occasion will also help in informing the pharma companies on the current development with respect to GMP.

sachin.jagdale@expressindia.com

The post ‘FOPE has been taking care of the interest of pharma manufacturers in North India’ appeared first on Express Pharma.

What specific challenges do pharma entrepreneurs face in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh?

FOPE was created in 2006 with a specific purpose to protect the interest of pharmaceutical manufacturers in Excise Free Zone. Today, FOPE is being recognised as one of the major pharma associations. The major challenges before us for these specific areas are to protect the benefits of continued excise exemption to keep them competitive. We are working closely with Himachal Pradesh Drug Manufacturers’ Association and Uttarakhand Drug Manufacturers’ Association in this direction and taking up the issue with appropriate authorities at the centre level.

What role will 13 sub committees play, involving technocrats/ stakeholders and professionals, formed by FOPE?

At FOPE, we have 13 sub-committees with specific purposes. We want to utilise the talent of our members in such a way that it benefits them in the most appropriate way to increase their efficiency. Each sub-committee has the subject experts and advise the senior executives on how to proceed in those areas. They take up the issue with the authorities and attend the meetings at the department and represent our cause and concerns.

Have you held any discussions with the government to extend tax holidays in Baddi? What was the outcome of these discussions?

With regards to the steps taken by FOPE in getting the period extended for Tax Exemption in Baddi, we in association with local body have taken up the issue at the state level, as well as with the Centre. The issue is currently under progress.

Give us the details of conference and exhibition that FOPE is organising on February 12 and 13 in Baddi. How is 10th anniversary of FOPE conference going to be different from its previous editions?

The leadership team has a single point agenda that is how to take care of their member’s interest along with keeping in mind the interest of the suffering population. With this mindset, we are working closely with IDMA, Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (CIPI), or any other pharma association or group. To name a few areas where our joint efforts has benefited the industry are FDC, amendments in D&C Act/ Rules, Pricing Policy, use of PET bottles and many other important issues.

FOPE organises seminars to generate a congenial environment for the industry in general and with specific interest of our members. We invite key opinion leaders from the industry for this purpose and these are being attended by senior bureaucrats, technocrats and policy makers.

sachin jagdale@expressindia.com

The post ‘Today, FOPE is being recognised as one of the major pharma associations’ appeared first on Express Pharma.

Mankind Pharma began almost 20 years ago with marketing at its core, sourcing medicines and selling them primarily in tier II and III cities. Though this model was not practised then, its success story was reason enough for its competitors who had not looked at the immense potential of rural and semi-urban areas, to follow suit years later.

The company known for its OTC sexual wellness products, particularly ‘Manforce’ which is a Rs 350 crore brand today, has exhibited phenomenal growth with revenues to the tune of Rs 3000 plus crore in FY2014-15, up from Rs 3.7 crore in FY1995-96. For the month ending March 2015, the company ranked fourth by value and fifth by revenue as  per IMS Health Market reflection report. The coming years will see it getting even bigger, if trends are to be believed.

Not just OTC

According to IMS Health, top 30 pharmaceutical companies in India are looking at nutraceuticals as an avenue for future growth. Not only is this is a reflection of an increased awareness of health and well being among Indians, it also a result of higher disposable incomes and the willingness to spend on dietary supplements as is evident by sites such as healthkart.com.

Mankind Pharma too does not want to remain far behind. It aims to increase its revenues from nutraceuticals to Rs 500 crore (from Rs 300 crore) by end 2015  adding them to the pipeline of chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetic management drugs.

Pitches in Sheetal Arora, Managing Director, Mankind Pharma, “In the the last few years, the acute segment, including antibiotics has done well, but now the focus is shifting to lifestyle diseases, and this segment has been a major contributor to our revenues in the  last five years. The future is nutraceuticals.” The chronic segment contributed just 0.5 per cent of the revenues before the company shifted base to Delhi in 2002 when the first drug for high blood pressure was launched. This was followed with drugs for diabetes, asthma, neurology and psychiatry disorders.

80 per cent of the products launched in the last two years have been in this category and he believes growth will come in the next two years. The segment  grew in the range of 80-100 per cent over the last year and currently contributes approximately nine per cent to the revenues. His enthusiasm is matched by Arjun Juneja, Director of Operations, Mankind Pharma, who believes that with India home to a huge diabetic population that is growing exponentially every year, the market for nutritional supplements for pre-diabetics is also set to increase and presents a tremendous scope.

“We launched multivitamin supplement HealthOk in the market last year which is almost a Rs 75 crore brand by this year. I count it as our breakthrough in nutraceuticals,” he reaffirms. He is of the opinion that the Indian nutraceuticals market is evolving, guidelines and regulatory framework will be critical to its growth. “I don’t see the industry going down anytime in the future,” he stresses. Even as regulations in India are evolving, Arora believes that emerging countries including India have immense potential that needs to be tapped. He particularly cites the example of Myanmar and Kenya.

OTC currently constitutes 10 per cent of the company’s revenues with seven to eight products in the market, with plans to introduce one to two products every year. Arora adds that most of the products in the acute segment – antibiotics, antifungals etc –  are in demand with me-too brands launched by the company as well. Cardio and diabetes management together contribute 15-18 per cent of their revenues and they hope to gain another two  per cent on this in the coming years. However, for the the future, he sees growth coming from niche brands in the gynaecology, cosmetics and OTC segment. There’ll be a renewed focus on healthcare oriented OTC products such as Prega News, Manforce and Unwanted 72, well known brands from the company which together make eight per cent of the revenue. Adds Arjun Juneja, “Immediate expansion would be in the infertility segment which is catching up with the increase in the number of  IVF clinics. The drugs are in the development phase and should hit the market in another three months.”

Multi-pronged approach

Mankind Pharma has traditionally been a domestic company with more than 90 per cent of the revenues coming from domestic sales. Exports comprise a measly one per cent of the company revenues. “We entered Sri Lanka three years back and have been aggressively entering foreign markets since the past two years. We hope to generate revenues of Rs 150 – 200 crores from exports in the next three years,” Arora says emphatically. However, today it has established its presence in 15 countries including Africa, CIS and South-East Asia. Most of these markets are non regulated or semi-regulated markets. The company is aggressively looking at increasing its share of exports in the coming few years. Exports to African  countries started last year and it is now selling drugs in  Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Ethiopia. Regulated markets are also on the radar in the next two to three years.

Expanding its domestic footprint is not far on the agenda. With close to a 1000 products across 14 segments and a strong hold on marketing, the company is well positioned as a potential partner for MNCs looking at launching their products in the Indian market. Thus it is only a matter of time when the right opportunity arrives.

“There are certain patented molecules that we cannot launch in India without the consent of MNCs, so we are seeking tie-ups to facilitate that process,” clarifies Founder and Chairman and Managing Director, RC Juneja.

It has also been reported that local companies with niche focus are much sought after with a view to further increase its reach, with upto Rs 500 crore earmarked for the same. There were also reports of private equity fund ChrysCapital Investment Advisors India looking to sell its stake in the company. While there haven’t been plausible developments to this effect, Mankind Pharma has definitely created a buzz both among investors and local pharma companies alike.

While it explores newer markets as well as expands its domestic reach, efforts are on on the R&D front too. The company invests five per cent of its revenues in R&D and has invested Rs 150 crores this year.

Elaborates Arjun Juneja, “The basic idea when we started our R&D centre was to develop complex molecules such as new chemical entities, (NCEs). In the last two-three years, we have made considerable progress. Dydrogesterone, is a hormonal steroid that is only made by Abbott in the entire world. There has been no generic company that has been able to make this so far, however we have been able to crack it about a year back and are still in the process of doing the clinical studies etc  We hope to launch it in the market by the end of this year, this would be one major breakthrough.” The R&D division  involves formulation development, product development, new entities development  and a biotechnology R&D centre set up 30 kms away from Manesar.

He informs that the scientific team is also working on new drug delivery systems (NDDS), as well as NCEs  especially in the field of diabetes. “There are a lot of gliptins (DPP4 inhibitors) that have come in the market for diabetes treatment, we are working on another concept which is similar to this, but is a novel molecule,” he adds.

Work on biosimilars is also underway. “Biosimilars is an  $80 billion dollar market poised to grow further. Biotechnology and biosimilars is where the the future of pharmaceutical research is. We have started our research on biosimilars and maybe in the next three to four years, we’ll be able to launch two to three biosimilars,” he says confidently.

The road ahead

The company which started with 40 medical representatives, is gearing up towards an ambitious future by adding to its field strength which is close to 11,000 now. Of this, 1000 were added in 2014-15 and this number would be increased further on. Pitches in founder Juneja, “We have increased our field strength dramatically, we need to do that to increase coverage.”  Known for its reverse approach, stationing its medical representatives in the areas surrounding Delhi in its formative years, Mankind Pharma now is looking at greater reach in the metros. 60 per cent of its revenues still come from tier-II, tier-III cities, but the management hopes that in the near future it’ll come more from metros, with tier-I cities becoming metros and tier-II becoming tier-I.

Two new API manufacturing facilities are also coming up in Rajasthan, one in Udaipur and the other in Sotanala, near Jaipur which will be established in another one and a half years. “In a small two-acre plant, we are putting up Rs 50 crores and we’ll start production in September this year. We expect Rs 75-100 crores of our revenues in 2016-17 to come from APIs. We will try to manufacture all those molecules that we import from China and other countries at lower prices here,” elaborates Juneja senior. This puts the number of manufacturing facilities to 15 including three facilities in Paonta Sahib, of which one is under expansion. Arjun Juneja says that the products manufactured in API units will be developed at the R&D centre. Majority of them would be used inhouse, as well as reduce the cost of APIs to reduce cost of formulations.

The founder that he is looking at revenues of Rs 4200 crores in the coming year. So can companies today afford to be  in a niche segment and survive or do they need to expand their product basket?

Juneja senior’s answers this with foresight. “It is a double edged sword. We have to expand our product basket in view of the increasing competition, to ensure our existence in the market and consistent growth. The market is much more dynamic today,” he says. He rules out the thought of the company coming up with an IPO anytime in the future. Affordability has been at the centre of Mankind Pharma’s strategy with most of their brands being 35-40 per cent less than the competitors. Branded generics are coming up, although Mankind Pharma is not into it.

The future looks promising for the company which seems to be sharpening its claws to face the future in a dynamic industry such as pharma. There is no one approach, it realises, even as it hangs onto its traditional practices while keeping a close eye on the future. So while brands like Manforce, PregaNews and Unwanted72 will continue to fetch revenues, investments in R&D will ensure that it is able to leverage the next frontiers in biotechnology to meet the demands of the future. Marketing has been its forte from the beginning, however, the plunge into novel products reveals a desire to much more than just a marketing company, it is heading towards innovation. This would be interesting to watch as it unfolds in the future.

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Gandhi Automations is one of the most sought after manufacturers of clean room high speed doors for the pharma industry. Samir Gandhi, Director, Gandhi Automations, reveals different aspects of their products in discussion with Sachin Jagdale

What are the different types of products you manufacture?

We design, manufacture, supply, install and maintain highly sophisticated industrial and commercial doors and loading bay equipment. The doors meet various objectives like temperature control, dust ingress, noise control, maintain hygienic conditions etc. At the same time it allows seamless traffic of forklifts, pallet trucks etc. All our products are manufactured by European and American technology that conform to very high standards of safety. Our dock levelers also adhere to the most advanced concept. The pre-fabricated solutions for quick construction of loading bays allows a cut by 60 per cent of the construction time of pits and dramatically reduces the need of man labour.

Our product range includes high speed industrial doors, high speed clean room doors, sectional overhead doors, dock leveler, dock shelters, rolling shutters, fire rated rolling shutters, fire sliding doors, swing doors, aircraft hangar doors and shipyard doors, swing gates, sliding gates, retractable gates and boom barriers.

Which are your pharma specific products? Besides pharma, which other industries do you cater to?

We manufacture clean room high speed doors especially for the pharma industry. In this industry, clean room doors play a crucial role in the manufacturing of pharma products which require the environment to be free from microbial and particulate contamination and protected from moisture– controlled environment. These industries make high demands with respect to hygiene, sealing, operating reliability, fitting and a trouble free after-sales service. Our clean room high speed doors satisfy all these requirements and work in strictly regulated operating conditions.

Apart from pharma, we cater to logistics, warehousing, cold chain, food, safety, commercial, residential, etc. Basically our products are high in demand in industries which require safety and quick open and close applications at the entry and exit points where controlled environment needs to be maintained. This helps in not only maintaining the hygiene but also the temperature within the area and lower energy consumption thus reducing the costs substantially.

Apart from doors, we also manufacture loading bay equipment for efficiently loading and unloading of goods and maintain quality of the goods during loading till they reach to the consumers. We also manufacture aircraft hangar doors for aviation industry, shipyard doors for ports, gates and boom barriers for residential and commercial establishments.

Briefly describe these products.

High speed industrial doors: Gandhi Automations develops prime range of high speed automatic doors used for fast access for internal and external areas of buildings.

Prime high speed doors are designed and manufactured with German collaboration using innovative and creative engineering technology for frequent use in high traffic areas with opening speeds up to 3 m/s. The high opening speed reduces time taken in movement of material thus accelerating the logistics process. A wide range of prime high speed doors are available for various operations, including areas with special requirements for temperature control, hygiene, pharma, storage and handling of frozen foods, ATEX explosion proof areas, deep freezer, warehouse, loading bays and on conveyor systems. Prime reset features a special innovative self-repairing system.

Loading bay equipment: Gandhi Automations offers complete logistics solution by providing dock levelers, dock shelters, scissor lifts, sectional overhead doors, high speed doors and dock houses. The dock equipment conforms to the highest safety standards like EN 1398 for dock levelers and EN 1570 for scissor lifts in addition to the CE mark on the products.

Dock levelers: Dock levelers are the most essential part of the material handling system. It improves safety, security and fast loading and unloading of goods at the warehouses, loading dock by compensating the difference in heights between the loading bay and the vehicle. It’s the most convenient way of loading and unloading goods. Dock levelers offered by Gandhi Automations are manufactured conforming to EN 1398 standards and using the advanced robotic welding technology to create a precision engineered product. A single push button activates the dock leveler into operation.

Dock shelters: Dock shelters cut off the inside environment from the outside. It is not only useful to the human working conditions, but also for avoiding useless wastes, therefore resulting in energy saving, ecological safeguard, protection of perishable goods and greater working efficiency. Gandhi Automations offers a complete range of dock shelters available for every kind of use and environment from the outside cold conditions or the chilled ones from outside heat and also from rain, wind, snow and dust. Dock shelters seal the gap between the building and the vehicle in such a way that when the sectional overhead door opens, goods and personnel are protected against the harsh weather conditions outside.

Sectional overhead doors: Porto sectional overhead doors are ideal for all industrial and logistics needs. The design and different solutions offered ensure the door to be aesthetically pleasing and perfectly suited to any architectural environment — from modern and traditional industrial buildings to fine commercial buildings. Porto doors are built to ensure the highest ease and flexibility of use which, in turn ensures a quick, hassle free and accurate replacement of old shutters. Depending on the structure of the building and the requirement, a choice can be made from a standard lift, vertical lift, horizontal lift, low headroom or inclined lift. The range consists of a wide series of track systems, panel options and safety features. Special glazed doors provide excellent lighting and vision into the building where required.

Scissor lift tables: Gandhi Automations offers lift tables that enhance the loading and unloading operations and conforms to EN 1570.

1. Rolling shutters: Gandhi rolling shutters — Classic, are ideal for situations where side room is at a premium and security is required. Our rolling shutters require very little headroom above the structural opening. They combine strength with elegance along with durability and are designed for both external and internal applications. Gandhi rolling shutters are fabricated of interlocked galvalume, galvanised insulated and non-insulated, stainless steel, patented aluminum or polycarbonate profiles and patented bright steel bar rolling grills. Each of our rolling shutters is solidly constructed to promote trouble-free operation and long life. The rolling shutters can also be designed as per client’s specifications or conforming to IS 6248.

All our rolling shutters are automated using robust drive technology with manual override in case of power failure and is compact, noiseless and reliable with low decibel level.

Gandhi rolling shutters fit openings to a maximum width of 30,000 mm and height of 40,000 mm with an endless array of options to satisfy both aesthetic considerations as well as working requirement.

2. Aircraft hangar doors and shipyard doors: Aircraft hangar doors — Hoist-up and sliding offer remarkable advantages for versatility to be suitable for aircrafts in different sizes. Optimum reliability and operational safety are important design principles. The hangar doors are designed for tough environments with extremely large openings. The sliding aircraft hangar doors are recommended where no headroom is available and side clearances permitted, whereas hoist up doors obviates the need for heavy foundation under the door for bottom tracks.

3. Industrial sliding doors: Motorised heavy industrial sliding doors are excellent for large openings and are custom built to meet the requirements of our customers. They are ideal for industrial applications, both as external and internal doors where maximum door opening is required. The doors are designed for tough everyday operation, extremely sturdy, resistant to impact and effectively corrosion-protected.

4. Commercial doors:

• Sliding doors: Automatic sliding doors are solutions devised to meet the modern requirements of interior design. They smartly enhance the look of commercial areas and work environments. These are ideal for office buildings, shopping malls, apartments, hotels, restaurants, conferences and others. Gandhi offers a complete range of automatic systems for sliding pedestrian doors (single leaf, double leaf, telescopic) curved doors.
• Swing doors: Gandhi Automations offers automation for swing doors that have very distinctive features. While being elegant they also comply with European regulations and are sturdy to be used for heavy duty application.
• Garage doors: Garage doors open vertically, they slide upwards, then along the ceiling, through the guides provided, making them ideal when space is at a premium or when the garage door opens directly onto the pavement. Garage doors help in sound proofing and have a heat insulation coefficient, due to their insulated panels, which ensures insulation rating from heat/ cold and contribute to saving energy.

5. Fire rated shutters and doors:

• Fire rated rolling shutters: Fire rolling shutters are rated physical barriers that protect wall openings from spread of fire. They provide automatic closing in the event of fire detection. Fire rated rolling shutters provide up to four hours protection against fire. The operating system can be directly wired for activation by fire alarm systems or smoke detectors.
• Fire rated sliding doors: Fire sliding doors are ideal for wall openings where headroom is limited and frames can butt up to a ceiling or fix directly to overhead lintels. The counterweight on the door is linked to the fuse and closes the door only when the fuse breaks at a temperature of 74°c. The sliding door remains in a ‘normally open’ position and goes to a complete closing in case of fire. Available in single and double leaf options.

6. Gates:

Gandhi designed and fabricated gates are not only aesthetically pleasing, but sturdy and perfectly aligned. The pre-tensioning of the gate leaf construction reduces the risk of bending. The leaf design is available in standard form or custom made to suit the client’s requirements. Electromechanically driven steel gates are robust and suitable to be installed at any industrial, commercial or residential premises. The automated gates ensure long-term reliability and superbly blends in with the style of the buildings. We offer different types of gates like: conventional sliding gates, telescopic sliding gates, cantilever sliding gates, retractable gates and swing gates.

7. Boom barriers:

The soft edges, rounded corners and high performance boom barriers offered by Gandhi Automations are suitable for any type of installation environment. The wide range of lengths and accessories available ensures that all installation requirements are met. All models are equipped with a provision of manual operation in the event of power failure and battery back-up facility in selected models. Wide range of models suit various applications like car parking sites, condominiums, toll collection and industrial entrance. The models are available for boom length up to 8.4 m. They can be opened up to 16.8 m, which can be covered with two barriers operating as master/slave.  The boom barriers can be manually released in case of power failure. Battery backup facility is available in select models.

Tell us about your infrastructure?

Our company is headquartered in Mumbai. We have state-of-the-art manufacturing and warehouse facility of 300,000 sq ft in Bhiwandi. With offices in 23 major cities of India and a strong team of more than 500 people, we have a strong national presence and international footprint.

What is your total market share in India?

We are the leaders in entrance automation and loading bay segment with a market share of more 70 per cent in India i.e. three out of every four entrance automation or loading bay equipment have been sold and installed by us. Our products are innovative, high-quality, safe and energy efficient. Our passion and commitment to quality propels us to continuously thrive to do better for our customers by exceeding their requirements and expectations. Gandhi Automations is committed to provide excellent customer service by prompt response to customer queries. Our customer care team is available to our customers 24*7.

How will you describe Gandhi Automations growth prospects in India?

The market for our industry has been growing at a steady pace over the past couple of years in India. Entrance automation and loading bays have become a common sight in several types of industries nowadays. Rapid industrialisation and the steady growth of the commercial realty sector have been behind this growth. The thrust being given to the manufacturing sector is what has brought this product category into sharp focus. With several Special Economic Zones  (SEZs), National Manufacturing  Investment  Zones (NMIZs) being announced, apart  from the various industrial corridors that have been proposed, it is not surprising that entrance automation and loading bay industry is rapidly growing. The market that has been tapped till now is only the tip of the iceberg. With a ready made market available, this could be one product category which could witness double digit growth rates over the next decade.

Which marketing strategies have you adopted that have led to the success of your products in India?

Our strategy is not to appoint dealers for marketing and selling our products. All our contacts with the clients are done directly by our staff themselves. We believe that a dealer will never be able to service a client with the same passion as we do.  In this industry, the model of appointing dealers to service a client is an absolutely unsuccessful one which ultimately results in the client being unhappy.

What are the key strategic moves that have engineered the success of the company?

We constantly strive to grow. Our strategy is to focus on some of our key areas of operation. It is all about offering technologically advanced products to our customers. We understand the needs of our clients and offer them the best products along with high levels of service. We are having 3,00,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse facility at Bhiwandi where we carry out our manufacturing process. Apart from catering to the Indian market, we have also been exporting our products to the US, Far East, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

sachin.jagdale@expressindia.com 

The post ‘Our products are innovative, high quality, safe and energy efficient’ appeared first on Express Pharma.

The company is always in the forefront in exploring ways to provide excellent services to its customers

Crystal Logistic Cool Chain is a complete logistics and supply chain service provider. It is one of the largest and fastest growing service providers in the integrated cold chain logistics solution space. Crystal provides services such as refrigerated warehousing (cold storages), refrigerated transportation on a pan-India network. Always on the cusp of innovation, Crystal also provides solutions such as express refrigerated transportation for LTL (less than truck load) consignments and portable cold storages. Crystal boasts to be the only company in the country to provide complete range of services with such wide gamut of solutions in the cold chain logistics industry.

Crystal traces its origin back in 1962, promoted by Murari Lal Agarwal began operations under the name M/S Harayana Transport Company. The company, primarily a transport service provider under the able leadership achieved great success and built its reputation in the market. Backed by its impeccable service and quality norms the company was successful dealing with the largest names in the industry such as Philips, Siemens, BPL, LG, Coal India, and ONGC among many others. The company has exponentially grown since then and began its cold chain operations in 2001 and has been one of the largest and fastest growing player ever since. Crystal began its cold chain transportation segment with one refrigerated truck. Today, Crystal operates on a pan-India network geographical footprint with 12 branches and 150+ refrigerated trucks. The company provides both primary and secondary distribution. Crystal boasts to have a clientele of some of the largest names in processed food industry and pharmaceutical industry. Crystal is also one of the few companies in the country providing transportation solutions across all volumes and temperature ranges. Crystal is certified as an ISO 9001-2008 owing to its consistent, prompt and timely deliveries.

Warehousing

Crystal’s warehousing facility is built keeping in mind complete logistics solution for the customer. The facility is equipped to handle products of all temperature ranges, i.e. frozen, chilled, ambient and dry. Along with storage, the facility has dedicated space for customer offices, rest area for drivers and helpers. Crystal’s facility also has plug-in support for refrigeration units of trucks. The key features of Crystal’s warehouse are as follows.

• Modern racking system to handle euro and industrial size pallets.
• Palletised handling of goods, ensuring no damage to products.
• Top-notch material handling equipment.
• 100 per cent power back up, ensuring temperature compliance at all times.
• Sealed docking system, ensuring no exposure of goods to outside environment.
• Environment-friendly refrigerant gas.

Crystal’s prime strength is using of latest technology to its aid. Crystal uses sophisticated WMS system to ensure 100 per cent visibility of stocks and report, and high efficiency in operations. The WMS system also helps in maintaining LIFO/ FIFO/ FEFO/ FMFO and various other systems as required by the customer. Provision for 24/7 online temperature and stock tracking facility and customised automatic alerts, helps customers monitor data and quality at all times.

Crystal is always in the forefront in exploring ways to provide excellent services to its customers. With the same view Crystal has entered into a strategic partnership with Coldstore Urk BV, Netherlands for management and operations of its cold storage facility. Coldstore Urk is a pioneer in cold storage and warehousing business in Netherlands and brings with it, it’s expertize, operational and technical know-how.

Portable cold storage

Portable cold store is an innovative new solution by the company, which enables manufacturers, distributors and others to store temperature sensitive cargo in their premises. This solution helps customers avoid huge investments in creation of storage space, enabling them to focus their investments and energy into their core business

These portable cold stores are designed and built with the user reliability, performance and running costs in focus. Arctic Stores bring a new dimension to the temperature controlled, portable cold storage market. Portable cold stores are given on long term and short-term lease rentals suitable for any business model. These can be given on sale option also.

Salient features:

• High insulation value
• Flat anti-slip aluminium floor
• Easy, 1 hand opening door with inbuilt lock
• 220V internal lighting
• Strip Curtain
• Person trapped alarm
• Modern power efficient machinery
• Temperature range – 40 Deg C to +18 deg C range (subject to model)
• Maximum air temperature fluctuation 0.5 deg C from set point after pull down (most models)
• Self bearing on the 4 corners

Awards and accolades

The company has bagged a number of accollades in the past years. They are Best Transporter of the Year award in 1998, presented by LG Electronics, Appreciation of Dedicated Sevices in 2006 presented by BGTA, Parivahan Shree Samaan in 2004 by AITWA, Appreciation of Dedicated Sevices in 2007 presented by AIMTC, Spirit of Partnership Award in 2010 presented by Jubiliant Foodworks – Domino’s, Fleet Operator of the Year – Niche Transport in 2013 presented by ICC, Cold Chain Service Provider of the Year in 2013 presented by GCCA and Excellence Award of the Year in 2014 by ICC.

The post Crystal Logistic Cool Chain: Complete logistics and supply chain service provider appeared first on Express Pharma.

Chempharm, a clean room equipment and turnkey solution provider, has been consistently growing since its inception three decades ago to become a leading player in its field

Chempharm Industries India is one of the oldest and most experienced clean room equipment and turnkey solution provider in India. The company started its operations in 1985 under the aegis of Anil Sapra and Rajnish Garg, both chemical engineers from Chandigarh. Garg also has a post-graduation degree with specialisation in filtration/ membranes while Anil Sapra is an MBA in Marketing. “Our engineering back ground and Garg’s specialisation in filtration helped us to enter into clean room technology and filteration systems,” informs Anil Sapra, Director, Chempharm Industries India

The growth trajectory

They gained initial experience in filteration systems by developing some filters in-house with the help of media suppliers like H&V Company. Experience in clean room technology was gained by carrying out validations with the help of equipment suppliers of particle counter and aerosol photometers. The  learnings in HEPA filters manufacturing and validations gave them confidence and stood them in good stead in the years to come. The first clean room they implemented was for Ranbaxy API projects in Toansa way back in the 90s with the support of a renowned consultant M/s H&G (now Jacobs). Today, they have enormous experience in all types of clean rooms for critical applications like vaccines, formulations, in FDA approved facilities etc. Till date, they have implemented over 500 clean room projects in India and countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Niger. They also boast of a strong manufacturing base and large experienced team. F) Last but not the least consistency in the business from last 30 years

Milestones

1985 – Started with HEPA manufacturing and testing as per FED 209 Std using DOP and particle counters
1990 – Implemented its first clean room project without HVAC for Ranbaxy Toansa under the guidance of H&G (now Jacobs)
1995 – Implemented its first OT clean room for AIIMS in Delhi
2000 – Implemented a clean room with HVAC for a FDA-approved facility Stericon in Bengaluru for eye drops
2010 – Implemented its first EPC project with civil + modular clean room + HVAC + BSL 3 labs for a vaccine manufacturing unit at VBRI Hyderabad
2010 – Implemented EPC for a bio pharma unit in North India with civil, modular, HVAC, BMS, water treatment plant, fire fighting system and all electricals (symbiotic labs)
2013 – Expanded the manufacturing base to multi-fold with state-of-the-art machines like laser, Tturret, 3D pipe bending, CNC presses, powder coating, paint booth, MIG and TIG etc to become the most advanced manufacturing in India for containments and panel manufacturing
2014 – Expanded their base South and West Africa

Next gen leaders

The company has been growing from strength to strength in the three decades of its existence. Now, the  next generation of leaders, Rohan Garg, (Graduate engineer from the US) and Sahil Sapra (MBA and CFA from Canada) are expected to lead the company to further glory. Currently, both are in the process of gaining invaluable experience in manufacturing, marketing and finance.

Future plans

“Chempharm has always had firm belief in India’s capability and competency in engineering manufacturing. We are entering into more advanced manufacturing by acquiring the know-how from some critical containment equipment manufacturers overseas. All these equipment like isolators, mist   showers etc will be manufactured in India and shall be exported to Europe and other developed countries,” informs Anil Sapra. He further informs that they are in discussion with a European firm to form a JV though he didn’t divulge further details.

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As a $3 billion company, Welspun Group is one of India’s fastest growing conglomerates, registered at a CAGR of 30 per cent over the last decade. Welspun is a fully integrated player within the pipes, plates and coils and home textiles sector, while it also has a presence in the other business verticals such as steel, infrastructure and energy. As a globally recognised leader in the fields of line pipes and home textiles, Welspun Group has captured a strong foothold in more than 50 countries. It employs over 24,000 people and has as many as 100,000+ shareholders.

Through a vast global footprint, the company has leveraged many business association with a marquee of esteemed clients, especially within the oil and gas and retail sectors where most companies are listed in the Fortune 100. Among the group’s subsidiaries are Welspun USA, Welspun Tubular LLC, Welspun Middle East and Welspun UK.

In the line pipe sector, Welspun has to its credit some of the most prestigious projects including the world’s deepest pipeline project in the Gulf of Mexico, US; heaviest pipeline project in the Persian Gulf; highest LNG pipeline project in Peru and longest pipeline project from Canada to the US.

While in the home textiles sector, Welspun is the largest integrated towel manufacturer in Asia, a leading supplier to 14 of the top 30 US retailers, and a global supplier offering the entire range of products within the segment.

Welspun’s manufacturing base sits in its core facilities at Anjar, Gujarat, while other units are diversified in different parts of India with one plant each in the US and Saudi Arabia.

Behind this rapid rise to prominence is a story of vision, foresight, planning and excellence. It is this willingness to face challenges that has made Welspun a recognised name as the one who pushes boundaries only to emerge victorious as a innovative solution provider that dares to commit.

Welspun is proactively involved in a highly developed CSR programme which focus on the three ‘E’s – Education, Empowerment & Health and Environment. With an aim to give back to the society, the company has driven an entire campaign to empower the underprivileged and establishing a sustainable business model that takes care of the environment. The social activities aren’t just limited to high profile projects, in fact every Welspunite is encouraged to contribute to the community in any small way they can.

Contact Details:
Welspun House, 7th Floor,
Kamala Mills Compound,
Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel,
Mumbai – 400 013
Tel: +91 22 66136000 / 24908000
Fax: +91 22 24908020 / 24908021

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Vaxom Packaging is the India office of the world’s leading providers of packaging solutions — Axomatic, Omag, V2 Engineering and Sarong. Set up with a view to provide comprehensive pre-sale consultancy, asset deployment and service support to customers in the Indian sub-continent and South Asia, Vaxom today, has many installations to its credit and a larger number of customers.

V2 Engineering

V2 Engineering provides its products and services in various product sectors from food and non-food to nutritional, from pharmaceutical to cosmetic, etc. V2 Engineering’s expertise is producing machines like: Horizontal and vertical intermittent cartoner (with and without flange), continuous horizontal cartoner, box erector, box closer, horizontal and vertical case-packer (balcony design and not), shrink wrapper and tray-packer top/ bottom. V2 Engineering is able to project and produce also complete lines, controlled and not controlled from supervision interfaces.

Axomatic Group

Axomatic has been designing and producing vacuum mixers, tube filling machines, hot melters and pneumatic dosing machines for more than 20 years. Axomatic’s machines are present in more than 35 countries and are installed in factories of clients in the cosmetic, pharma, food and chemical sectors. Some of Axomatic’s key clients are L’Oreal, Nestle, Henkel, Wella, Schering Plough, Avon and Sanofi.

OMAG

Since 1975, OMAG has been designing and manufacturing bag-sealing machines, fillers and augers for the food, pharma, cosmetics and nutritional sectors: packaging machinery that are specially designed to ‘automatically’ resolve the needs of innovative packaging solutions. OMAG provides a wide range of vertical and horizontal packaging machines, using continuous and intermittent movements: the C3 series for packaging products in heat-sealed bags on four sides, the CO series for packaging products in heat-sealed bags on 3 and/or 4 sides in doy-packs or stand-up packages, the CS and DIVA series for packaging products in stick packs, machinery for strips and individual items. In order to complete the machinery line-up, the company has designed models that are customised for the pharma sector, the PHARMASACHET and PHARMASTICK.

Sarong

Sarong is a private-owned manufacturing company, located in the north part of Italy in Reggiolo (RE). It was established in 1972 with the aim to introduce the first fully automatic packaging machine (Mod. SG-12) for the production of pharma suppositories. Over the years Sarong has been extending the range of its packaging lines designing and manufacturing suppository machines (Mod. SAAS lines).

Few years later, Sarong started a new division for the production of pharma packaging materials in order to become a supplier of complete systems: machines, packaging materials and technical assistance. Over the years Sarong has been extending the range of packaging materials produced in a brand new plant and have obtained ISO 9001:2000 certification through the TUV.

In 1984, Sarong supplied the first vertical thermoform, fill and seal machine for unit-doses of liquid products in the pharma market. In 1998 transferred the thermoforming technology in other fields such as food, cosmetic and personal care, household and cars, in addition to pharma. In 2002, Sarong started up a contract packaging department.

Today, Sarong provides thermoforming machines, packaging materials and contract packaging services worldwide. Sarong is a market leader for pharma suppository packaging machines, with more than 600 machines sold in 50 countries; provides food, cosmetic and personal care, household and cars monodose packaging solution with vertical and horizontal thermoforming machines; owns more than 30 patents. Sarong employs100 persons and export 90 per cent.

Contact Details:
130, 1st Floor, Dimple Arcade,
Asha Nagar, Thakur Complex
Kandivili (East), Mumbai – 400101
TlFx: +91-22-40143515
Email: info@axomatic.co.in

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Founded in 1986 to market sieves for the pharma industry, Pharma Spares has a long history of offering innovative solutions for meeting and exceeding customer expectations.

In the late 1990s, the company invented the ‘Lead Free Sieve’ which revolutionised the way people used sieves and brought about a sea change in the attitude of the pharma industry towards use of toxic solders. The company takes a great pride in innovating, manufacturing and marketing a product which brought about a nation wide reduction in the causes of lead poisoning.

The invention was so popular that its trade marked product, ‘Pharma Spares Lead Free Sieve’, became a de rigueur standard for all pharma manufacturers.

The concept of industrial sieve calibration, certification and validation work was pioneered by the company as a result of requests from customers for more exacting tolerances.

In early 2006, the company introduced innovative cost-effective designs for imported screening, milling and granulating equipment.

Contact Details:
A-20, Singh Indl. Estate-1,
Ram Mandir Road, Goregaon (West),
Mumbai – 400104
Tel: +91-22-67061023/ 24/ 25
Email: sales@pharmaspares.com

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ABS Pharma Equipments is one of the leading manufacturers, exporters and suppliers of pharmaceutical machines. The company brings forth various kinds of pharma machines, such as fluid bed dryer, octagonal blender, pharmaceutical mixers, vibro sifter and soft capsule encapsulation machine. The range of pharma machines includes majority of all the machinery required by pharma formulation for soft gelatin, tablet, liquid oral, ointment and injectables.

The company manufactures pharma machines as per the international standards. Quality is given the utmost importance at every stage of production. The modern factory is well-equipped with machine shop, fabrication shop, assembly section, buffing and polishing section. Its factory is located in Vasai near Mumbai and it has the latest machinery to produce high end products. There is also an own in-house design unit to carry out custom made design requirements for its esteemed clients. The company is known for quick and accurate response to local as well as overseas customers.

ABS Pharma Equipments has emerged as a remarkable pharma machines manufacturer, exporter and supplier. The company is engaged in offering various high performance pharma machines, such as fluid bed dryer, octagonal blender, pharma mixers, vibro sifter and soft capsule encapsulation machine. The pharma machines are fabricated with the highest level of perfection, and are tested on various parameters at every step. The machines are in conformity with the set industrial standards.

Contact Details:
Anup Nath
Gala no.-22/B, Star Industrial Estate,
Naikpada, Waliv, Vasai (East),
Dist. Palghar, Maharashtra -401208
Call Us : 08048063662
Tel: +91-120-2548699
Mob: +91-9873678349, +91-9890204833
Email: anupnath326@rediffmail.com
Website: http://www.abspharmaequipments.com
Webpage : http://www.exportersindia.com/abs-pharma-equipments/

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