Rudy asks embassies to help boost pharma exports to Africa

Our Economic Bureau

New Delhi, Dec 3: The recent Doha agreement on Trips, which enables the developing countries to procure generic versions of life-saving drugs for fatal diseases like AIDS, malaria and TB, presents a new opportunity to accelerate the country’s pharma exports, said minister of state for commerce and industry Rajiv Pratap Rudy at a meeting with the heads of Indian missions from seven East African countries in Nairobi on Monday.

Mr Rudy asked the heads of missions to adopt an aggressive strategy to boost trade as also devise ways to gather necessary market intelligence on a continuous basis for evolving the country’s strategy. Heads of missions and commercial representatives from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles participated in the meeting.

The minister also mentioned cotton yarn/fabrics, readymade garments, rife, drugs and pharmaceuticals, software and electronics, engineering and sports goods as the areas in which India has an edge over its competitors.

He stressed the need for an in-depth analysis of India’s competitors, specially the ones from Asia, to evolve the strategy to boost trade with Africa.

Mr Rudy also outlined the efforts of the government to promote trade with increased interaction with governments and businessmen of the two regions. The government is also looking at measures to improve export financing, put in place an expeditious system of clearance of overseas investment for public sector companies and harmonise the manufacturing standards of the two regions.

Mr Rudy urged the missions to be more active in countering the negative efforts of anti-dumping cases and anti-subsidy investigations by closely liaising with interest groups of consumers and importers as also with their counterparts in the government.