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 The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) has sought inputs from Indian pharma companies to address market access concerns in Kuwait.
This comes close on the heels of the recently constituted India-Kuwait Joint Working Group (JWG) on Trade and Commerce to strategize on strengthening bilateral collaboration in pharmaceuticals.
“Pharmexcil would like to utilize this platform to address market access concerns for Indian companies in Kuwait. In this context, Pharmexcil is compiling inputs from the Indian pharmaceutical industry regarding any challenges faced specifically with the Kuwait Drug & Food Control Authority (KDFCA) and Ministry of Health (MoH).” said Raja Bhanu, director general (DG), Pharmexcil.
He further added that member companies can share any concern or observation in relation to the areas of product registration or renewals, regulatory or technical requirements, inspection or audit-related concerns, pricing-related issues, import permissions or delays and any other matter impacting exports to Kuwait. Inputs from member companies will enable us to consolidate industry challenges and present them effectively at the appropriate forum for resolution.
According to Pharmexcil, inputs can be emailed to regulatory@pharmexcil.com marking CC to dgdesk@pharmexcil.com.
A detailed market study was also commissioned by the Embassy of India in Kuwait. The study, conducted by renowned regional consultancy firm MARMORE MENA Intelligence, outlined significant potential for Indian firms to establish a foothold in Kuwait’s evolving pharmaceutical landscape. The report comes at a time when the Kuwaiti government is actively crafting a national pharmaceutical manufacturing strategy aimed at fostering a competitive and export-ready industry.
Key insights from the Kuwait market study indicates focus on drug formulations. The country currently prioritizes high-quality drug formulations, with no immediate plans to develop active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) manufacturing. There is interest in collaborations for local biosimilar production.
Efforts are underway to localize packaging of medicines and medical supplies. Kuwait is developing incentive programmes to attract multinational players through offset arrangements. There is focus to support local manufacturers through expanded supply contracts and incentive frameworks with an aim to strengthen domestic production capacity. Innovations like continuous manufacturing and modular factory designs are being promoted. The country is also fostering academia-industry partnerships through dedicated research clusters.
Kuwait’s pharmaceutical sector demonstrated robust growth from 2020 to 2024, outpacing the overall Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region during the same period. The surge was largely due to increased revenues post-pandemic, especially from vaccine-related sales.
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