West Dedicates First Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant in India

Expands Presence in Asian Markets

More than 100 people gathered in Chennai, India, on July 16, 2014, as West celebrated the dedication of its first pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the Sri City Special Economic Zone (SEZ), where the company is expanding its growing primary packaging for injectable medicines business.

“This investment is important to our strategy of partnering with customers in India and the Asia Pacific region to help them provide medicines to patients more efficiently, reliably and safely,” said Warwick Bedwell, President, Pharmaceutical Packaging Systems, Asia Pacific Region. “With the facility complete, we anticipate a reduction in lead times for supply to our customers in India. By leveraging our global sourcing activities and process engineering expertise, we expect to be able to carefully manage the overall costs of production.”

In June 2012, West signed a 99-year lease on 72,800 square meters (approximately 783,600 square feet) of land in Sri City. Sri City offers the advantages of a metropolitan location and was selected primarily on suitability because of land, availability of utilities, labor suitability, logistics and quality of life.

Construction began in August 2012 on the facility that will produce seals used in primary packaging of injectable medicines manufactured by West’s pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers in India and the wider Asia Pacific region.

More than 40 employees joined company executives, government officials, and West customers for the event, which was followed by a tour of the facility and luncheon.