'Pharma City' to boost Telangana health

Hyderabad: The “Pharma City” project announced by the TS government on the city outskirts has been receiving huge response from international and national pharma companies even before it started operations.

While the government had wanted the Pharma City to be spread over 12,500 acres in Mucherla on the Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar border, it could acquire only 6,000 acres since the project was announced in December 2014.

Several companies from US, Canada, France and Germany, besides some Indian companies, have submitted applications seeking land allotment in Pharma City, amounting to 8,500 acres.

Seeing the huge demand, the government has asked revenue officials to expedite the land acquisition process so that the project can be developed in a single phase instead of two as planned earlier.

Officials from industries department said that since Hyderabad is already globally famous as the pharma hub of the country due to presence of several top pharma companies, the demand for space in Pharma City was expected but not in the initial stages of the project.

“We had recently issued tenders to prepare master plan for the development of Pharma City. Several top notch international and national firms have submitted bids. We will soon shortlist the bids and finalise one. Once the master plan is drafted, the work will be expedited to see that the Pharma City is in place in two years. The response to Pharma City has been overwhelming,” said industries minister K.T. Rama Rao.

Officials said while six companies from the USA have submitted applications for land in Pharma City, another dozen firms from Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada etc., besides 10 Indian firms have sought land. Some Chinese firms too are set to submit applications soon.

The government has asked industries department to be in constant touch with these companies and take these proposals forward.

The government had earlier planned to develop Pharma City in two phases, 5,000 acres in Phase-I and 7,500 in Phase-II. But looking at huge demand, it now plans to complete entire project in a single phase.

Meanwhile, the TSIIC has been asked to expedite creation of infrastructure facilities in Pharma City like water, power, internal roads etc.