Tuesday Jul 28, 2026
Tuesday Jul 28, 2026
Tuesday, 28 July 2026 05:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
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| President Dinesh Athapaththu – Pic by Lasantha Kumara |
The Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (SLPMA) yesterday called for a national policy push to transform pharmaceutical manufacturing into one of the country’s next major export industries, arguing that the sector’s contribution remains underestimated despite its strategic importance to healthcare security, foreign exchange savings, and high-value employment.
Delivering his inaugural address after assuming office as President at the Association’s 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM), the new SLPMA President Dinesh Athapaththu said Sri Lanka has built a solid pharmaceutical manufacturing base over the past six decades, but warned that the industry’s full economic potential can only be realised through stronger policy support, faster regulation, investment incentives, and closer collaboration between Government and industry.
Reflecting on the Association’s 60-year journey, he said the industry had evolved from a modest manufacturing base into one equipped with several state-of-the-art facilities capable of producing a significantly wider range of medicines while creating thousands of skilled jobs.
However, he noted that there remains a significant gap between what the industry believes it can contribute and how policymakers perceive its role in the national economy.
“There is still a considerable perception gap regarding what pharmaceutical manufacturing can deliver to Sri Lanka. Unless policymakers recognise this industry’s strategic value, we will not realise its true potential,” he said.
Athapaththu stressed that pharmaceutical manufacturing should ‘not be viewed’ merely through the lens of pricing disputes, procurement controversies, or shortages that frequently dominate public discussion.
“This is an industry that ultimately exists to save lives. Every medicine we manufacture could one day be used by our own parents, children, or loved ones. It is a business that carries an extraordinary responsibility and must therefore be built on trust, quality, and scientific excellence,” he said.
He added that building trust should become the industry’s key objective, not only among patients and healthcare professionals, but also with regulators and policymakers.
Athapaththu urged the Government to establish a multi-stakeholder national task force to formulate a long-term strategy for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
He said such a body should bring together policymakers, regulators, and industry representatives to drive coordinated decision-making and position pharmaceuticals as one of Sri Lanka’s next major export sectors.
“I firmly believe pharmaceutical manufacturing can become one of Sri Lanka’s next star industries to boost exports. But achieving that vision requires all stakeholders to work together with a shared long-term commitment,” he said.
The SLPMA President said pharmaceutical manufacturing could become a significant new source of export earnings if supported through a coherent national strategy.
Sri Lanka already produces thousands of science graduates annually, many of whom remain underemployed because of limited opportunities in knowledge-intensive industries.
“The pharmaceutical industry is one of the few sectors capable of fully utilising this highly skilled scientific talent while generating high-value exports,” he said.
He noted that while Sri Lanka’s export basket remains heavily concentrated in apparel, tourism, tea, and ICT, pharmaceutical manufacturing has the potential to emerge as another major foreign exchange earner.
Noting that the global pharmaceutical industry is $ 1.8 trillion, he said there is a significant potential for Sri Lanka’s pharmaceutical manufacturers to be part of it.
“Rather than questioning whether pharmaceutical manufacturing is viable in a country of 22 million people, policymakers should focus on creating the conditions that make it internationally competitive,” Athapaththu stressed.
He pointed to countries such as Ireland and Singapore, which have built globally competitive pharmaceutical industries despite relatively small domestic markets.
“India’s success should not be viewed as a competitive disadvantage. Instead, Sri Lanka should leverage its proximity to India to gain access to technology, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and expertise while building its own competitive advantage,” Athapaththu said.
The SLPMA President also outlined what he described as five strategic priorities needed to transform the industry.
The first was an uncompromising commitment by manufacturers themselves to quality, compliance, and patient safety. “This is a largely self-regulated industry. If one manufacturer fails to maintain standards, it damages the credibility of the entire sector,” he said.
Secondly, manufacturers should move beyond producing similar generic products and instead invest in product innovation, advanced technologies, and export-oriented manufacturing.
Thirdly, he called for stronger collaboration with universities to ensure graduates possess industry-ready skills, while expanding specialised training for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Fourthly, Athapaththu urged the development of a broader pharmaceutical ecosystem, including packaging manufacturers, testing laboratories, bioequivalence centres, and other supporting industries, many of which Sri Lanka currently imports.
He suggested public-private partnerships (PPPs) could accelerate the development of these supporting industries.
While acknowledging that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had significantly improved regulatory timelines over the past two to three years, Athapaththu said further reforms were essential to attract investment.
He praised the NMRA’s responsibility to ensure medicines remain safe, effective, and affordable, but argued that faster product registration would significantly improve investor confidence.
“The Sri Lankan market is the foundation upon which manufacturers build their export ambitions. If product registrations take years, investment decisions are inevitably delayed,” he said.
Athapaththu proposed dedicated fast-track regulatory pathways for locally manufactured products and called for more structured dialogue between regulators and industry.
“There are many practical insights that manufacturers can contribute to improve regulation. A stronger consultative process would benefit both regulators and industry,” he added.
