West Pharmaceutical Services inaugurated its first Indian plant at Sri City SEZ in Andhra Pradesh, on 16 July, 2014. The US-based company has invested $15 million (approx Rs 90 crore) in the 1.64 lakh sq ft plant.
West Pharmaceutical had acquired 7.83 lakh sq ft land at Sri City in June 2012. The new plant will be the nodal manufacturing base for injectible seals. Till now, the company had been importing its products into India from its two plants in China and Singapore.
The Sri City plant will import raw materials for the immediate future, but plans for domestic sourcing are on. The company is also evaluating prospects for an elastomers (stretchable polymers) manufacturing unit in India.
So far, about 35 companies have operationalised their facilities in Sri City SEZ, which is located near Tada in Andhra Pradesh, about 75 km north of Chennai.