One of India's biggest pharmaceutical companies is planning a major expansion of its research activities in Asia.

Ranbaxy Laboratories plans to set up 11 new clinical research centres across India and is also opening up sites in China for the first time.

The company already has 11 centres across India.

Ranbaxy is hoping the plan will increase their presence in the rapidly expanding field of pharmaceutical research.

The attractions of China

Clinical research centres offer facilities for new drug trials and are in great demand, Bimal Raizada, senior vice president at Ranbaxy told the BBC's World Business Report.

The effectiveness of a new drug has to be studied in up to 600 patients before mass trials go ahead.

The size of the Chinese population makes the country an ideal location.

New drugs have be tested on a wide range of people with different characteristics and from different ethnic populations, Mr Raizada said.

"If you were to see the Indian population and the Chinese population you have then covered more than 50% of the world population," he added.

Mr Raizada said although the company would look at the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine, this is not one of the major reasons for the companies expansion into the country.

"The basic objective of going to China is more for the western medicine system," he said.