Will National Pharma Research Institute come to Kalliasseri? Kerala stakes claim

Thrissur: Demands are gaining strength for Kerala to make a concerted effort to secure one of the three National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) announced in the Union Budget. It is being assessed that bringing the project to the campus of the State government’s International Research Institute of Ayurveda, scheduled to be inaugurated on February 25 at Kalliasseri in Kannur, would be a major gain.

The budget announcement was part of a plan to develop India into a biomedicine hub. Kerala, which has a strong tradition in the propagation and use of medicinal plants, offers vast potential for such education, research, and discoveries. The presence of world-class Ayurveda in the State would further strengthen this effort. It is in this context that calls have emerged to make the most of the budget announcement. Dr D Ramanathan, General Secretary of the Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers of India, submitted a letter to the Chief Minister the other day highlighting these possibilities.

Up to 100 acres of land is required to establish a NIPER aimed at pharmaceutical education and research. In Hyderabad’s Genome City, such an institute with an investment of ₹300 crore is planned on 75 acres. The Kalliasseri institute has 311 acres of land. It is also being pointed out that having the two institutions in close proximity would be highly beneficial.