Granules Forges Rs 2,000 Crore Partnership With Greenko For Kakinada Green Plant

Pharma major Granules India announced on Tuesday that the company is entering a strategic partnership with Greenko ZeroC to develop Integrated Green Pharmaceutical Zones (GPZ) in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh and other sites. 

This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Indian pharmaceutical industry because the chemicals involved in the sector are usually associated with high carbon emissions. Through this partnership, Granules will get access to clean energy from the proposed greenfield energy plant in Kakinada. The project is estimated to cost Rs 2000 crore and the investment will be spread across 5 years. 

The pharma firm will then manufacture key starting materials (KSMs), intermediates, APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) and fermentation-based products at the facility.  

Granules is one of the global leaders in the production of paracetamol molecules. 

According to a statement issued by Granules, the partnership will lead to “Green Molecule Solutions and its wider applications in pharmaceuticals to build a leadership position in sustainability and circular economy initiatives and be a pioneer in the industry.” 

Krishna Prasad, chairman and managing director of Granules, said, “Sustainability and green chemistry are key pillars of our commitment to heal the planet and people through minimizing carbon footprint, adopting resource efficient processes, and reducing waste across our value chain.”   

Greenko Zero C is a subsidiary of Greenko Energy Holdings (GEH), formed for various green hydrogen and energy transition initiatives. 

Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty, CEO and managing director of Greenko, said the collaboration will transform industrial manufacturing. He said the partnership will “propel the transformation of industrial manufacturing to be more sustainable and competitive with technologically superior and green solutions.”