Hyderabad International Airport has gotten a pharma makeover that addresses one of the weakest links in India's drug supply chain: cold storage.
The aptly named Pharma Zone at Hyderabad Cargo terminal, which opened this week, is a temperature-controlled facility that includes a dedicated area for 2 degree to 8 degree Celsius storage. Also on site is a sterile area for APIs and vaccines.
The terminal boasts dedicated truck docks and floor-level weighing provisions for acceptance. Data loggers are available at key areas for customer use.
Separately, Lufthansa Cargo says it will establish a pharma transport hub in Hyderabad.
Warehousing and cold chain provisions are among India's biggest challenges in becoming a global drug supplier. Worker strikes plus road and rail blockades stemming from civil unrest are other hurdles.
- see the airport story
- here's the Lufthansa article