Centre to set up EPCMD Regional Office in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The State government’s repeated appeals appear to have paid off with the union government reportedly deciding to set up a regional office of the Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices (EPCMD) in Hyderabad to boost export of medical devices. The State government had made several requests to the Centre to sanction a medical devices […]

Hyderabad: The State government’s repeated appeals appear to have paid off with the union government reportedly deciding to set up a regional office of the Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices (EPCMD) in Hyderabad to boost export of medical devices.

The State government had made several requests to the Centre to sanction a medical devices park under its Promotion of Medical Devices Parks scheme. However, the Centre did not approve the request. Under the scheme, the Department of Pharmaceuticals had received proposals from 16 States, including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and others.

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The proposals were evaluated as per the criteria given in the scheme guidelines and final approval for financial assistance of Rs.100 crore each was extended only to Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Now, the Centre has decided to set up regional offices of the EPCMD in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the headquarters to be in Greater Noida. The Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC) will provide assistance and guidance to the EPCMD for the first five years.

While, the EPCMD at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh is likely to be set up by the end of 2023, the regional office in Hyderabad could take much longer. It is reportedly to be set up by the end of 2025.

Principal Secretary (Industries) Jayesh Ranjan said due to the presence of the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) in Hyderabad, many pharma companies from the city were recording higher exports than those in other regions. Pharmexcil has also been able to connect buyers in other countries to local pharma companies. With Pharmexcil headquartered here, all the expectations and requirements in the market were being communicated promptly to the companies operating here, he said.

“We expect the same role to be played by the regional office of the Export Promotion Council on Medical Devices that will be located in Hyderabad,” Ranjan said.