The Government of Gujarat is organising the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2022, from 10 -12 January 2022, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. As a precursor to the main Vibrant Gujarat Summit, various seminars, events and exhibitions are being organised to showcase Gujarat’s distinctive accomplishments, strengths across sectors and its preparedness to lead Aatmanirbhar Bharat’s growth story, a press statement by Manoj Aggarwal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat, said yesterday.

It also notified that the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat, is organising a pre-event summit “Holistic Healthcare: Focus on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices” on 18th December, 2022, in Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 10 am to 2 pm. This pre-event summit will be inaugurated by Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister, Gujarat, in the presence of Rushikesh Patel, Minister, Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Water Resources and Water Supply, Government of Gujarat; Nimishaben Suthar, Minister of State, Tribal Development, Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education, Government of Gujarat. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers is also likely to join this pre-summit.

The pre-event summit will include deliberations on boosting bulk drug production through Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, reducing India’s dependence in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and medical devices and Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) – generic medicines, as per the statement.

It also mentioned that some of the dignitaries attending the pre-summit include S Aparna, IAS, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India; Dr Sarah Mcmullen, India Office Country Director, United States Food and Drug Control Administration (FDA); Dr V G Somani, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI); K Beji George, Chairman and Managing Director, HLL Lifecare, Parth Gautam, Deputy CEO, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India and Ravi Uday Bhaskar, Director General, Pharmexcil.

The pre-event summit will consist of technical sessions covering various aspects of the PLI scheme and the opportunities to enhance bulk drug production. It will also consist of sessions to discuss the status and scope of generic medicines in India and experience sharing sessions by medical experts and beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), it added.

It further mentioned that the various panel discussion sessions taking place during this pre-summit event will see senior government officials, eminent industrialists, senior industry leaders and technocrats deliberating upon ways to reduce India’s dependence upon imports of pharmaceutical bulk drug and medical devices and measures to provide affordable and quality healthcare for all by increasing the adoption of generic medicines.

On this occasion, the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), Government of Gujarat, will commemorate its 60 years of existence by launching the book “Six decades of FDCA and Pharma Industry Gujarat.” The Gujarat Medical Services Corporation will also felicitate the best-performing store owners of Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Kendra (PMBJPK) as well as HLL Lifecare. The pre-summit will also see participation from senior executives from companies such as Zydus Cadila, Intas Pharmaceuticals, Alkem Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Glenmark and other reputed domestic and multinational companies. More than 500 industry members are expected to join this pre-summit programme, the statement concluded.