sponsoredSupply Security in Tableting Local Production, Global Standard

Sponsored by

Fette Compacting GmbH

Global pharmaceutical production depends on reliable supply — not least for manufacturing tools. To meet this demand, Fette Compacting is establishing a new production site in Pune, India, at the heart of one of the pharmaceutical industry’s fastest-growing markets.

A tablet press can only produce as reliably as the tooling fitted to it. If punches or dies are unavailable, damaged, or delivered late, production may come to a standstill — even when the press itself is fully operational. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, the availability of these comparatively small components can therefore have a major impact on supply security, production planning, and delivery performance. This challenge is becoming more pronounced as pharmaceutical production expands in emerging markets and procurement teams diversify their supply chains. Short delivery routes, local availability, and consistent quality are gaining importance.

Fette Compacting is responding to this development with a new production site for punches and dies in the western Indian industrial city of Pune. The facility combines local manufacturing with the same production and quality standards that apply at the company’s headquarters in Schwarzenbek, Germany.

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India’s Pharmaceutical Industry on the Rise

India combines a large domestic pharmaceutical market with a strongly export-oriented industry. Generics account for a significant share of the country’s pharmaceutical output. A growing population, rising healthcare expenditure, and an expanding middle class are driving demand. At the same time, the Indian government is promoting local pharmaceutical manufacturing and improving access to affordable medicines.

According to Statista Market Insights, market revenue increased from approximately 7.57 Million US dollars in 2016 to around 13.48 Million in 2025. It is expected to reach approximately 17.45 Million US dollars by 2030. India is therefore not only an important sales market but also an increasingly relevant production and export hub for the global pharmaceutical industry.

India Arises as Pharma Hub

India ranks among the world’s most important pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs. The country serves a strong domestic market while exporting a significant share of its pharmaceutical products to highly regulated markets. At the same time, India is becoming an increasingly important source of tableting tools for emerging markets in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Many governments in these regions are actively promoting local pharmaceutical production. International procurement teams are also diversifying their supply chains to reduce geopolitical dependencies and limit the impact of disruptions in individual regions. India benefits from this development and is positioning itself as an alternative hub for global pharmaceutical sourcing.

Shorter Routes Create Faster Responses

For pharmaceutical manufacturers, this trend creates clear requirements: reliable supply chains, suitable production solutions, and partners who understand regional conditions. In price-sensitive markets, local access to manufacturing resources can directly affect competitiveness and supply security. The investment forms part of the corporate strategy “Together — from lab to production”. With this approach, Fette Compacting aims to support customers throughout the entire product lifecycle, from early development to commercial manufacturing. That promise also applies to tableting tools: Punches and dies form the interface between the tablet press and the product. Their design and condition influence quality, process stability, and production efficiency.

The Pune site will supply customers in India, other Asian markets, and export-oriented emerging markets in the region. Local production should shorten delivery routes and improve supply reliability. It will also allow the company to respond more quickly to regional requirements, including regulatory, documentation, and service needs. The company expects to start production in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Why Tableting Tools Matter

Tableting tools such as punches and dies may appear small compared with the tablet press itself. Their influence on the overall process, however, is far greater. Punch geometry, dimensional accuracy, surface quality, and material properties all affect critical tablet characteristics, which include tablet weight, hardness, thickness, appearance, and dimensional consistency. The tools also influence ejection forces, sticking and picking behavior, tool life, and the stability of the overall production process. Reliable access to precisely manufactured punches and dies therefore contributes directly to reproducible tablet production.

Manufacturing on a Proven Foundation

Pune is one of India’s major industrial centers and combines a specialized supplier network with well-developed logistics. It also lies close to important pharmaceutical hubs in western India. Fette Compacting is establishing the new facility on the existing campus of the LMT Group. The medium-sized, family-owned group brings together several specialized business areas, including Fette Compacting, a global supplier of tablet presses, and LMT Tools, a manufacturer of precision tools for industrial machining. The Pune campus has been producing precision tools since 2013. Its existing infrastructure, experienced specialists, and established local suppliers provide a solid foundation for the new production facility.

The manufacturing area covers approximately 1,000 square meters and houses 25 state-of-the-art production machines that cover all relevant machining and finishing processes, including turning, milling, grinding, wire erosion, polishing, embossing, and quality inspection. The machines have already been commissioned, and the team has also completed initial validation batches successfully. Further test runs are preparing the site for stable serial production. At the start of production, approximately 20 employees will work at the Pune facility. The new team combines local production expertise with the technical and quality requirements of Fette Compacting’s global tooling organization.

Two Sites Make One Network

The existing tableting tools production at the headquarters in Schwarzenbek near Hamburg, Germany, will be complemented by Pune. The two locations will operate as parts of one global network, with clearly allocated responsibilities. Schwarzenbek remains the center for specialized high-end production, advanced technologies, and product innovation.

This division of tasks aims to create advantages for both sites. Pune can supply the steadily growing demand for standard tools in India and surrounding markets without relying on deliveries from Europe. Customers benefit from shorter routes, improved availability, and faster response times. At the same time, the focus on standard production in Pune allows Schwarzenbek to use its capacity for more complex custom solutions, specialized tools, and development projects.

Joint Training Creates a Common Manufacturing Language

A global manufacturing network only works if all sites apply the same technical and quality requirements: Every tool produced in Pune is subject to identical manufacturing, testing, and quality standards as a tableting tool from Schwarzenbek. This is made possible by the direct knowledge transfer between the two locations.

Production specialists from India completed several weeks of practical training at the Schwarzenbek site. Designed as a practical qualification rather than a purely theoretical introduction, the program enabled the future Pune team to work through the relevant production steps directly on the machines used in daily manufacturing. Alongside experienced colleagues, they gained technical skills and a more profound process understanding of how individual process parameters affect the final tool. The training covered not only machining but also inspection, documentation, handling, and the assessment of tool quality. This direct experience is intended to establish a common manufacturing language between the two sites from the outset.

Regional Availability With Consistent Standards

This close collaboration will continue during commissioning and production ramp-up. The Pune site will operate as an extension of the Business Unit Tableting Tools in Schwarzenbek and work closely with the team in Germany. Experts from Schwarzenbek will support commissioning and production ramp-up on site in India. They will help establish critical manufacturing steps, qualify processes, and ensure that local partners meet the required specifications. This cooperation is designed as a continuous exchange rather than a one-time transfer of knowledge. The teams will continue to share experience and coordinate closely as production volumes increase and new requirements emerge.

After the opening at the end of 2026, the company plans to expand manufacturing capacity in Pune step by step. Fette Compacting aims to strengthen its support for pharmaceutical manufacturers in a region that continues to gain importance in global drug production. Combining regional availability with globally consistent standards, a manufacturing network is created designed to meet both the local and international requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.

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