New Delhi, India’s pharmaceutical industry needs to move beyond its traditional strength in cost-effective generic medicines and focus on innovation, advanced manufacturing, quality and global regulatory standards to realise its growth potential, industry experts said.
“Telangana has already established itself as India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing powerhouse and a global vaccine hub, but our ambition now goes beyond manufacturing.
Sarvesh Singh, CEO, Lifesciences and Pharma, Government of Telangana, said the state, already a major pharmaceutical manufacturing and vaccine hub, was seeking to move up the value chain. We want Telangana to emerge as the life sciences innovation capital of India,” he said. Singh said the state was focusing on biologics, biosimilars, cell and gene therapies and other areas where biology, chemistry and technology converge. “Through our Next-Gen Life Sciences Policy 2026-2030, we aim to attract USD 25 billion in investments and create more than five lakh jobs over the next five years,” he said. M Roja Rani, Executive Director, Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association of India, said India had built strong capabilities in bulk drugs and Is but needed to reduce dependence on imported key starting materials and intermediates. “The capability to manufacture is well established; the priority now is to strengthen competitiveness, reduce dependence on imported key starting materials and intermediates, and build greater depth across the domestic value chain,” she said.
With India targeting a pharmaceutical market of USD 130 billion by 2030, experts at a recent industry event in Hyderabad said the next phase of growth would require greater investments in research and development, digital technologies and contract research and development manufacturing.
