Construction of ₹500-cr. pharma glass tubing unit begins in Telangana

A joint-venture of U.S multinational firm Corning with SGD Pharma on Thursday began the construction of a pharmaceutical-glass-tubing facility at Mahabubnagar near Hyderabad.

The ₹500-crore project is likely to play a crucial role in increasing the primary packaging capabilities of the sector to support the increased vaccine and critical drug production in Telangana, Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao said following the ground-breaking ceremony.

SGD Corning Technologies, the joint-venture, will allow SGD Pharma to adopt Corning’s ‘Velocity Vial’ technology platform and expand pharmaceutical packaging manufacturing in India. The JV partners will help drug manufacturers respond to the increasingly complex capacity and quality issues and meet global demand for critical medicines, the companies said.

Production of the Velocity Vials at SGD Pharma’s facility in Vemula is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2024 whereas that of the pharmaceutical tubing will begin in 2025.

“Delighted that Corning, a global leader in glass innovation, and SGD Pharma, a global leader in glass packaging, have selected Telangana to build their world-class facility. The SGD-Corning partnership is a welcome step forward as we move toward growing our ecosystem to achieve India’s goal of a $250B ecosystem by 2030,” Mr. Rao said.

By combining SGD Pharma’s vial-converting expertise with Corning’s proprietary glass-coating technology, the collaboration will enhance vial quality, improve filling-line productivity and speed [up] the global delivery of injectable treatments. The JV expands Velocity Vials’ manufacturing footprint, localises its supply chains in India and enables easier adoption of the technology by customers, a release from the Minister’s office said.

“The joint venture supports our global expansion as we localise manufacturing for our customers. The collaboration also underscores our commitment to India’s high-growth market,” said Ron Verkleeren, senior vice-president and general manager of Corning’s Life Sciences Market Access Platform.

“We see an opportunity for the industry to improve drug filling quality and performance capabilities by transitioning to Corning’s coated vial technology,” SGD CEO Olivier Rousseau said.