P&G to Set Up Rs 2,000 Cr Psyllium Husk Drug Plant in Gujarat

In a significant move toward the Indian pharmaceutical industry, Procter and Gamble (P&G) would invest over Rs 2,000 crore in Gujarat to have a state of the art manufacturing facility of psyllium husk based-Laxative drugs.

This is a major development as P&G intends to expand to other global locations and this move is strategic in enhancing its presence in the drug market.

The new plant will take advantage of the fact that Gujarat is already the global leader in psyllium husk production and processing, a plant fiber produced in large quantities in North Gujarat.

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Psyllium husk is characterized by its non-fermentable, gel-forming ability; hence, this makes it important in the management of gastrointestinal complications such as constipation, diarrhoea and irritable bowel syndrome, among other features.

According to Dr. H.G. Koshia, Commissioner of the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), this initiative marks a strategic expansion for the consumer goods giant. The company plans to leverage Gujarat’s strong agricultural and industrial ecosystem, particularly its dominance in the global psyllium husk market.

Besides the psyllium husk-based laxative plant, P&G is also going to widen its Vicks brand to India by starting local manufacturing of its conventional line of products as compared to its earlier plant focusing more on herbal products. Negotiations in this regard are already in the works and this only speaks volumes of the importance that Gujarat is gaining in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.