Indo-German joint venture, Schott Kaisha has set up an automated plant for pharmaceutical packaging in Jambusar, Gujarat, with an investment of 20 million euro (about Rs 150 crore). In 2008, Germany company Schott AG and Indian company Kaisha Manufacturers formed a joint venture for pharmaceutical glass packaging.

"We see a steadily rising demand for locally manufactured primary packaging that meets the rising quality demands," said Mr Kairus Dadachanji, managing director of Schott Kaisha, after inaugurating the new plant. "Our new state-of-the-art factory sets new standards in India. This investment will result in better quality opportunities for our customers. In other words, we will be helping the Indian pharma industry to achieve its own growth objectives," he added.

According to the company, its production capacity in India increases by 50 percent to around 2 billion ampoules and vials per year. Schott has an existing production facility in Daman. Its fully automated production process uses high-end robotic feeding technology for tube-loading as well as high-precision camera inspection systems.

The new plant in Jambusar has 20 production lines for ampoules and 16 for vials, with scope for further expansion. Its fully automated production process uses high-end robotic feeding technology for tube-loading as well as high-precision camera inspection systems.

"Kaisha's deep market knowledge about India and Schott's world class technology create a perfect partnership," said Mr Udo Ungeheuer, chairman of the Board of Management of Schott AG.

The pharmaceutical market in India is expanding by approximately 14 to 17 percent per year. The packaging market is expected to grow in line with the overall pharma market by about 11 percent annually.