New Delhi, March 15: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has laid the foundation stone for a significant pharmaceutical project in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir. He announced on the social media platform X that India is playing a global role in the biotech revolution, and now Jammu and Kashmir has joined the forefront of India’s major pharmaceutical leap.
Kathua, a secondary city, has been selected to produce India’s first indigenous 7-Aminocephalosporanic Acid (7-ACA) product. 7-ACA is a crucial antibiotic intermediate used in treating resistant bacterial infections, often seen in patients with cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, and weakened immune systems. This project aims to reduce dependency on imports from China, as most of the 7-ACA is currently sourced from there.
The foundation stone for this unit was laid by Orchid Bio Pharma, a multinational company under the Dhanuka Group, which has a presence in nearly 40 countries. The new pharma unit is expected to attract an investment of ₹600 to ₹700 crores. This investment will strengthen the local economy, create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, and inspire other industrial ventures.
The project has received support from the Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), which operates under the Department of Biotechnology. Dr. Jitendra Singh described it as evidence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s commitment to promoting biotech entrepreneurship and the life sciences sector. Kathua is already home to North India’s first industrial biotech park, which fosters startups and biotech innovation. This new unit will contribute to transforming the region into a bio-pharma hub.
Dr. Singh emphasized that this project marks a new direction for industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the youth to take advantage of this facility and build careers in the biotech sector. In recent years, the central government has promoted several biotech and pharma projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including a new green building at CSIR-IIIM and the Purple Revolution (lavender farming).
This initiative aligns with the ‘Make in India’ and Atmanirbhar Bharat campaigns, which prioritize indigenous production in the pharmaceutical sector.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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