India being the pharma manufacturing hub from almost last 20 years where we are catering 20 % requirement of generic medicines globally by volume, hence providing cheap medicines to the world. This is the right time where the industry can provide the economic boost to the national economy with gloves in hand with the government. It is needed to pursue the government to understand the economic infrastructure support needed by the industry. As the opportunity & prospect this industry contains a growth high as $100 billion per year could be achieved and this can become the economic booster next after IT industry. The outreach towards other countries apart from US from where we are getting the maximum revenue will be the deciding factors for phenomenal growth.

1) South America, African Countries and, middle east will be the deciding factors.
2) Focus has to be on the products against HIV, Oncology, Neurosciences & Respiratory drugs.

The biggest human source we have is the largest number of chemists & chemical engineers produced by the Indian Colleges and strong IT support but we are still not good in Biology in spite of large number of biology students which depicts that there is only one Indian company able to produce bio-similar products at the international level. Where the growth prospect is much bigger for biologics & bio similar.

We have to understand that pharmaceutical sector has already done a great service to the world and country. It needs acknowledgement and encouragement.

Four out of Ten generic medicines in USA are made in India.
This endorses that India produces the highest quality at lowest cost. On the other hand the industry is over-regulated as per Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (Executive Chairperson- Biocon ltd) an authority in the industry has stated her firm belief and prediction that only pharma export could be increased to $100 billion yearly in a very short span of time with right incentives to facilitate innovations. 35 percent of GlaxoSmithKline volume comes from India which is one of the biggest manufacturer multi-national. It’ll not be out of place to mention that innovative products bears a cost and in the present scenario where the life expectancy (longevity) which was 45 years at the time of independence has increased to 68.5 years and expected to touch 75 years in this decade.
In this scenario the type of diseases will be different. It’ll not be only anti-infective or respiratory requirements but Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s disease has to be addressed. Selection of products will be the key factors for growth model. Type of products there are going of patent now are very different than those that went off 10 years back as per Mr. Umang Vora (Global CEO, Cipla), “Industry is reshaping and has to be, refurbished & retooled”.

Products like insulin & complex peptides needs to be focused in this decade. MNC’s are facing a difficult time as in spite of large volume they’re able to get the small sales value from India.

Quality is the key issue Indian companies have to face as hindrances are witnessed by international regulatory authorities in spite of India’s wide global presence.

U.S is going to be perfect market for products like bio-similar. China is going to be a market on watch not only because of size of the market but as present Chinese government liberalization policies which are easing the regulatory requirements, focusing on the quality and also working on the financial reimbursement models. This could be very attractive to Indian pharma companies to look at China’s market apart from Latin America, North America, Middle East and, African Countries.
Projection on image of Indian pharma quality standards has to be addressed very seriously regarding regulatory, compliance issues and warning letter raised by U.S. These warning letters and issues has to be weighed prospectively.

*US Companies receives as much warning letters as the Indian companies but the image painted for Indian companies is to create simple doubt.

46 warning letters were issued to U.S companies against 12 to India and 10 to China while India contributes 40% generic need of U.S.

India has to gear up with the new technologies and automation. Government should liberalize this over regulated market. Financial support will be the seed for innovations which is FUTURE. It is biologics, bio-similar, amino oncology and neurosciences.
Healthcare financing models like AYUSHMANN BHARAT are good then price control for changing disease patterns and their treatment.
I strongly believe that India is going to be the pharmacy capital of the world. Affordable quality medicine supplier of the world. Diagnostics to diagnose early detection of disease and digitalization in healthcare taking its expertise in IT is going to make India the market leader and to make India pharmacy of the world.



-Dr. Rajat Bhatt
(Pharm.D)
Executive Director
M Care, Exports.