Excipients – pharmacologically inactive substances used in drug formulations – play a critical role in the stability, delivery, and efficacy of modern medicines.
Technology Development Board (TDB), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has extended financial support to Nitika Pharmaceutical Specialties, Nagpur, for the indigenous manufacturing of complex pharmaceutical excipients.Excipients – pharmacologically inactive substances used in drug formulations – play a critical role in the stability, delivery, and efficacy of modern medicines. Despite India’s dominance in generic drug manufacturing, the country still relies heavily on imports for high-value, complex excipients, sourced primarily from the US, China, and France.The supported project aims to establish a commercial-scale, state-of-the-art facility for the production of 14 advanced excipients tailored for next-generation pharmaceutical applications. These will be developed under the Quality by Design (QbD) framework to meet stringent global standards for parameters such as particle size, surface area, and product stability.Founded in 1991 and globally active across 90 countries, Nitika has a DSIR-recognized R&D unit and is already known for its fine chemicals and specialty excipients. The current initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the pharmaceutical sector, where Nitika is a selected beneficiary under the MSME (Group C) category.“TDB’s support to Nitika underscores our commitment to enhancing domestic capabilities in critical pharma inputs,” said Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB. “India’s vision of becoming self-reliant in pharmaceuticals must extend beyond finished formulations to encompass the entire value chain, including high-tech excipients.”
With this move, the government aims to reduce import dependency, boost exports of value-added pharma components, and reinforce India’s position as a technology-driven pharmaceutical leader under the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
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