Total investment of Rs 600 crore, 1,000 direct and indirect jobs
Aurangabad to have the world's largest vegetarian capsule manufacturing unit
VAIBHAV PARWAT
Aurangabad, Nov 30:
Asia's leading global pharma supplier ACG Group will invest Rs 600 crore in the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). This will be Asia's largest capsules manufacturing unit of the company that will be set up in the Shendra phase of the DMIC. The company has recently been allotted a plot of 20 acres and the construction will start next month. The investment will provide more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, said DMIC officials.
Investments are slowly gaining pace in the DMIC after prolonged covid slowdown. So far, 130 plots have been allotted to entrepreneurs in the Shendra phase. Recently, plots have been allotted to Hyderabad based Nath Group and ACG group. Officials from the ACG had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government. The government has also accorded the company the status of a mega project. According to sources, the company will manufacture 40 billion capsules annually and will also have a research and development center adjoining this unit. ACG is planning to double its capsule manufacturing capacity from this unit. The company will also provide a boost to the pharma industries in the Aurangabad district.
Company to invest Rs 350 in first phase
ACG will make a total investment of Rs 600 crore. For this, the company has been allotted a plot of 20 acres. The company will invest Rs 350 crore in the first phase. Construction will start within a month and production is expected to start within a year. With this state-of-the-art plant, the company plans to take the capsule manufacturing capacity to 240 billion capsules a year.
World's largest vegetarian capsule manufacturing company
The Central government has decided to replace animal origin gelatin to plant based cellulose capsules that has encouraged various companies to produce vegetarian capsules. Accordingly, ACG has developed a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose capsule that provides a vegetarian alternative for traditional capsules. The Aurangabad unit will manufacture vegetarian capsules and will also produce empty vegetarian capsules (cellulose capsules). The shell of the capsule will be made entirely of plant cellulose. This manufacturing facility will also be the world's largest greenfield capsule manufacturing facility.
70 plots distributed in past six months
So far 130 plots have been distributed to entrepreneurs in Shendra phase. About 18 companies have started production. Construction of 60 companies is in final stage. Plots have been distributed to 70 entrepreneurs in the last six months.