India, which exports around US$10 billion worth of pharmaceutical expects 22 percent growth in the current year, industry experts said. "India is the frontrunner in export of pharmaceuticals including formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Sotax India managing director, Dr L Ramaswamy told reporters on the sidelines of a "Disso India 2013". Disso India is a pharma convention that was attended by the professionals from R&D, QA and QC as well as the academia. Around 250-300 delegates had registered and participated in this event, which was said to be the first mega event focussing on dissolution.

Since dissolution methods and its application is kept so confidential by each company such events are considered to be important for the industry. The two-day Disso India seminar discussed dissolution methods and its applications as nearly 70 percent of the global pharmaceutical medicines produced under go dissolution testing of tablets and capsules before it gets released.

Currently, the export volume of Indian pharma industry to the US is estimated to be $1.2 billion in size. The country has exported US$10 billion plus pharmaceuticals in 2012, which includes 90 percent share of formulations and 10 percent of APIs. More than 180 manufacturing plants are approved by USFDA in India, which is the highest number after the US. "India's share of the generic market is about to 35 percent. Hence the contribution of the Indian pharmaceutical industry for the growth of generic drugs in the world is very high. The pharma industry needs new technology, innovation and needs to sort out various issues faced related to dissolution," said Mr Ramaswamy. Today one tablet out of four consumed in the US or Europe is manufactured by local pharma company.

"The Society for Pharmaceutical Dissolution Science (SPDS) is working towards further improving the quality of our production and export thereby try to achieve target of every third tablet consumed in the whole world made in India", he said. Disso India 2013 event also witnessed eminent professionals and global speakers from the pharmaceutical industry.

The event was organized under the chairmanship of Dr Vinay G Nayak, the president, technical, Alembic Pharmaceuticals. Dr L Ramaswamy, the managing director of Sotax India is the organizing secretary of this event and the general secretary of SPDS. The scientific sessions were programmed and executed under the chairmanship of Dr Mangal Nagarsenker, HOD and professor of pharmaceutics, Bombay College of Pharmacy, Mumbai.