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Akums, a Delhi-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), and The Government of The Republic of Zambia (GRZ), have announced a partnership to set up a manufacturing facility in Zambia to provide high quality and affordable generic medicines for patients in Zambia.
The partnership will involve setting up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Zambia to manufacture and supply medicines in Zambia. The joint venture (JV) also, in the future, will export to neighboring African countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique etc.
The manufacturing facility will be housed in a newly formed Joint venture company, which will be headquartered in Zambia. Akums will hold 51% while GRZ, though its nominated state instrumentality, will hold 49% in this joint venture. The JV will be managed by a Board with representatives from both partners. The JV is expected to be established by Q3 FY 26, post which the construction of facility will begin.
Commercial supplies from the facility are expected to begin in Q3 FY 28, subject to timely establishment of the facility and regulatory approvals for the facility and products. The facility will manufacture tablets, hard gelatin capsules, liquids, injectables as well as beta-lactam products. Both partners will contribute in the establishment and operationalization of the facility in ratio of their shareholding.
To fulfill the current national healthcare needs, the Govt. of Zambia has also committed to purchase essential medicines from Akums’ facilities in India to Zambia. The supply will be of minimum $25 million annually in calendar years 2026 and 2027.
