French drug maker Sanofi’s animal health business is coming to India, making it the latest major player in the dynamic over Rs 2,000 crore market.

Shailesh Ayyangar, Sanofi India’s Managing Director and Vice-President, said it would bring in products from Merial, its global animal health arm. The company would launch products for cattle, small animals, poultry, veterinary medicines, vaccines and products for companion animals or pets, he said.

The domestic animal health market is growing at 8 per cent to 11 per cent, said Pandu Rao, an animal-health industry representative for four decades.

Big growth prospects

There will be increased activity in the sector as the dairy, poultry, sheep and companion animal segments are set to grow, he observed.

The companion animal segment alone, estimated between Rs 60 crore and Rs 100 crore, is growing between 35 per cent and 40 per cent, he said.

Some animal health majors such as French company Vétoquinol acquired local operations (Wockhardt’s, in this case) to enter the local market. But Sanofi will go to the market on its own, Ayyangar indicated.

Pfizer, which had acquired local animal health operations in the past, has now spun off its business.

Sanofi’s entry into the animal health segment comes even as other majors such as Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim step up their play in the segment.

The domestic market has large players including French company Virbac, Novartis, Ventri (of Venkateshwara Hatcheries), Cargill (through its acquisition of Provimi), Zydus Cadila and Intas Pharma, to name a handful.

There is a large unorganised sector, estimated at Rs 4,000 crore, comprising regional players and local importers of animal health products from other Asian countries, added Rao.

> jyothi.datta@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics