He told the pharmaceuticals industry to be ready to meet competition instead of basking in monopoly, which, he said, bred stagnation.

Addressing a meet to commemorate the pharma industry’s centenary celebrations on Saturday, Modi said biotechnology and nano technology would influence the growth of the pharmaceuticals sector in a big way “but the industry was lagging in having matching human resource development”.The CM said the problem must be addressed by advanced planning.

Modi said other factors influencing the industry were new diseases that should spur research further, holistic medicine, alternative medicines and therapies like aura science used by and saints in ancient times.

He said the industry had to guard against developments in China in this sector because that country hitherto remained dependent on India but now had begun augmenting home production.

On this occasion, Modi honoured nine prominent industrialists of pharma industries. B D Patel (Alembic), B V Patel (first drug controller of Gujarat), Kasturbhai Lalbhai (Atul), Vikram Sarabhai (Sarabhai Chemicals), Ramanbhai Patel (Cadila), UN Mehta (Torrent Pharma) and R P Patel (founder of L M College of Pharmacy) were given mementos posthumously while Ravjibhai Patel (Relief Chemist) through his daughter Ambuben and Indravadan Modi (Cadila Pharma) were presented awards by the Chief Minister for their outstanding contribution in the field.

Modi also released a centenary publication and a pharmacy pathfinder.

Sunil Parekh, industry consultant, on the occasion, said Gujarat contributed to 40 per cent of the country’s pharma production and 30 per cent of the drugs were exported from the State.