US firm West Pharma opens first India factory in Andhra Pradesh.

Philadelphia-headquartered West Pharmaceutical Services recently inaugurated a plant at the Sri City Special Economic Zone in Andhra Pradesh, strengthening its manufacturing base in the Asia-Pacific region.

The company has invested $15 million (Rs. 90 crore) over two years in the 1.64 lakh sq ft facility and aims to roll out 1.6 billion drug-packaging seals a year by 2018.

The expected demand for seals in the Asia-Pacific region will be 35 billion a year by that time, a growth rate of 7 percent.

'This investment is important to our strategy of partnering with our customers in India and the Asia-Pacific region,' Warwick Bedell, President, Asia-Pacific, West Pharma, told reporters at the launch.

In June 2012, the company had acquired 7.83 lakh sq ft land in the SEZ near Tada in Andhra Pradesh, about 75 km north of Chennai.

It plans to use up more area to manufacture elastomers, which are stretchable polymers.

The company's 2013 annual report says it will evaluate prospects for an elastomer-making unit in India based on the demand situation this year.


HBL