The MoI was signed at a meeting between Bhagwant Khuba, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports of the Netherlands.
- An Indian delegation led by Union Minister Khuba was in the Netherlands to participate in the 2nd World Local Production Forum (WLPF) meeting was held in The Hague from 6 to 8 November 2023.
World Local Production Forum (WLPF):
- The World Local Production Forum is a platform created at the initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective is to enhance access to medications and health technologies.
- The WLPF meeting, held in The Hague, provides an important opportunity to share experiences, challenges and successes in the development and manufacturing of diagnostic measures.
- Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Khuba said that we must collaborate with each other to identify innovative approaches that would enable sustainable and equitable access to these critical measures.
European Medicines Agency (EMA) visit:
- Union Minister Khuba also visited the European Medicines Agency (EMA). He engaged with Ms. Carla van Rooijen, Director of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology Division, in a productive discussion on pharmaceutical and medical technology industry regulations.
- During his visit, Union Minister Khuba visited the Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, and discussed the port's hydrogen hub plans with COO Boudewijn Simons and other officials.
Rotterdam as a center of hydrogen production:
- Rotterdam is moving towards becoming a hub of hydrogen production and transportation. He conveyed India's Green Hydrogen mission and its ambition to assume a global leadership role in Green Hydrogen, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
- Union Minister Khuba also visited Bilthoven Biologicals (Cyrus Poonawalla Group), the world's largest vaccine manufacturer.
Pharmaceutical Industry in India:
- Globally, India stands as the foremost producer of generic drugs. India's pharmaceutical industry plays a major role in global healthcare by providing affordable generic medicines.
- Being a major exporter of pharmaceuticals, it is currently valued at US$ 50 billion with Indian pharma companies exporting to more than 200 countries.
- It is expected to achieve US$ 65 billion by the year 2024 and US$ 130 billion by the year 2030.
India's share in global vaccine supply is about 60%:
- India is currently the top vaccine supplier country with about 60 percent share in the global vaccine supply. Also, the share of generic presses in exports is about 20-22 percent.
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