The Maharashtra government is planning to attract pharmaceutical companies to set up base in the state and has decided to set up a single-window system to grant them clearances and address their grievances.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister Jaykumar Rawal recently held meetings with representatives of the Indian Drug Manufacturing Association to understand why the pharma companies, for whom Maharashtra was earlier a preferred destination, shifted to Himachal Pradesh in recent years.

Earlier, around 3,000 pharma companies had their manufacturing units in Maharashtra. But gradually, majority of them shifted to Himachal Pradesh due to various sops offered there, Rawal told reporters here during the weekend. "I found out during my meetings with the stakeholders that these companies face a big hurdle in getting environmental clearances. The FDA will set up a single-window clearance system to help in this matter," he said.

Rawal said there were plans to make Nagpur and Aurangabad as the 'pharma hubs' in the state. In Nagpur, work is already in progress at MIHAN (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur), he noted. "The focus will be on production of Ayurvedic medicines. There are plans to make a pharma hub between Aurangabad and Nashik along the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Corridor. Plans are also afoot to set up a world class lab at the pharma hubs," the minister said.

"We want to compete with China in the production of generic medicines," he further said. The Indian pharma products have a good response in Europe, he said, adding that Bosnia is keen on a joint co- operation with Maharashtra in the pharma sector.