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As India sets an ambitious roadmap to reach a USD 130 billion pharmaceutical market valuation by 2030, industry leaders have converged in Hyderabad to outline the country’s shift from volume-driven manufacturing to high-value innovation, research, and global regulatory excellence.
Ahead of the 19th edition of CPHI & PMEC India 2026, scheduled for November across two venues, senior stakeholders emphasized that the next phase of Indian pharma requires a synchronized effort across CDMO services, digital transformation, and stringent quality compliance.
The official launch and precursor event of CPHI & PMEC India 2026, held under the banner of the Pharma Leadership Exchange at the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, brought together an exceptional gathering of pharma leaders, CXOs, industry stalwarts, and key voices from across India’s pharmaceutical and life sciences ecosystem, including Mr Sarvesh Singh, Director & CEO, LifeSciences & Pharma, Government of Telangana; Ms Pushpa Vijayaraghavan, Director, Healthcare & Lifesciences Advisory, Sathguru Management Consultants; Ms M. Roja Rani, Executive Director, Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association of India (BDMAI) and Mr. Chakravarthi AVPS, Chairman-Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, and Mr Rahul Deshpande, Sr. Group Director, Informa Markets in India.
Telangana: The Engine of Growth
With Telangana contributing nearly 40% of India’s pharmaceutical production and approximately one-third of global vaccine output, the state is positioning itself as the nation’s life sciences innovation capital.
Mr. Sarvesh Singh, CEO, Lifesciences & Pharma, Government of Telangana, said, “Telangana has already established itself as India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing powerhouse and a global vaccine hub, but our ambition now goes beyond manufacturing. We want Telangana to emerge as the life sciences innovation capital of India. Our focus is on moving up the value chain, from generics and APIs to biologics, biosimilars, cell and gene therapies, and other cutting-edge areas where biology, chemistry and technology converge. With a strong research ecosystem, global capability centres, a deep talent pool, world-class manufacturing infrastructure and more than 20 dedicated life sciences incubators supporting over 1,000 startups, Telangana has all the ingredients to drive the next phase of life sciences innovation. Through our Next-Gen Life Sciences Policy 2026–2030, we aim to attract $25 billion in investments and create more than 5 lakhs jobs over the next five years.”
“We are also positioning Telangana at the intersection of biology and deep technology, leveraging AI, data science and advanced technologies to accelerate research, innovation and sustainable manufacturing. We are strengthening global partnerships across the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea and China, while creating an environment that enables global companies, research institutions and startups to collaborate and scale. Our Green Skills Centre of Excellence, established in collaboration with Microsoft and 1M1B, is another important step, using AI and deep tech to address real-world sustainability and ESG challenges while building future-ready skills. These initiatives, combined with Telangana’s scientific talent, research capabilities and global connectivity, will help create an innovation ecosystem that is competitive, sustainable and future-ready,” he further added.
Scaling the Value Chain and Quality Standards
Industry experts noted that while India maintains a robust generic medicine base, the future lies in “backward integration”—reducing dependency on imported key starting materials—and embracing the CRDMO (Contract Research and Development Manufacturing Organization) boom.
Ms. M. Roja Rani, Executive Director, Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association of India (BDMAI), remarked: “India has built strong capabilities in bulk drugs and APIs, with the segment accounting for nearly 40% of the country’s pharmaceutical industry, or roughly ₹40,000-50,000 crore, and exports growing at around 11%, led by demand from the US and Europe. 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. Over the next three to five years, greater investment in R&D, new technologies and API capacity will be essential. Government initiatives such as the PLI scheme and bulk drug parks are important enablers, and faster implementation, access to infrastructure and stronger support for MSME manufacturers can further strengthen India’s position in global pharmaceutical supply chains.”
The conversation also highlighted the universal adoption of Revised Schedule M, which mandates rigorous Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for all manufacturers, regardless of turnover size, effective as of January 1, 2026.
Ms. Pushpa Vijayaraghavan, Director, Healthcare & Lifesciences Advisory, Sathguru Management Consultants, said, “India is already a USD 50-60 billion pharmaceutical industry, but getting to USD 300 billion will require progress across several fronts at the same time. We have to preserve our generics base, move faster on API backward integration, build scale in biologics and biosimilars, and invest far more seriously in innovation, where the global opportunity itself is around USD 500 billion. The Government’s ₹1 lakh crore RDI fund can help de-risk some of that journey, but industry will still need greater risk appetite and long-term commitment. Alongside this, quality, regulatory reform and sustainability, especially greener API manufacturing, energy and packaging, will be critical to staying globally competitive over the next three to five years.”
A Defining Decade for Collaboration
With the global CRDMO industry projected to reach up to USD 22 billion by 2030, integration between technology providers and manufacturers is becoming a strategic necessity.
Mr. Chakravarthi AVPS, Chairman, Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, said: “If India is to scale from where we are today to a $130 billion global pharmaceutical powerhouse, we must lead not only in affordability, but also in sustainable technology, complex delivery systems and global regulatory excellence. India’s pharmaceutical strength has always been defined by its ability to make quality healthcare accessible and affordable across the world. But the next phase of growth must go beyond cost competitiveness. Compliance is now the baseline; the real competitive advantage will come from innovation, advanced and sustainable packaging, traceability, technology and globally benchmarked quality. The future will belong to an integrated ecosystem where manufacturers, drug developers, packaging innovators and technology providers work together to build global standards of quality, innovation, sustainability and trust.”
Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, added, “India is entering a defining decade for pharmaceuticals, with its strengths in science, talent and manufacturing increasingly translating into higher-value opportunities across research, development and contract services. The CRDMO industry is projected to reach around USD 14 billion by 2028, with estimates pointing to an opportunity of up to USD 22 billion by 2030. Realising this potential will depend on how effectively the industry advances quality, technology, capability and global collaboration. CPHI & PMEC India, with its focused approach from this year, provides an important forum for these conversations, bringing together decision-makers and partners who can help convert opportunity into long-term growth and stronger global relevance.”
Mr. Rahul Deshpande, Sr. Group Director, Informa Markets in India, concluded, “Hyderabad and Telangana occupy a distinctive position within India’s pharmaceutical landscape, with the state contributing nearly 40% of the country’s pharmaceutical production and around one-third of global vaccine production. This concentration of manufacturing capability, scientific talent and life sciences infrastructure gives the region a critical role in the sector’s future. As companies invest in complex manufacturing, stronger compliance and technology-led production, collaboration across manufacturers, CDMOs, ingredient suppliers and technology providers will become increasingly important. The Hyderabad engagement brings this regional perspective into the build-up to CPHI & PMEC India 2026.”
The 19th edition of CPHI & PMEC India 2026 will be hosted across two venues, with CPHI India at IICC, Yashobhoomi, Dwarka from 23–25 November 2026, and PMEC India at IEML, Greater Noida from 24–26 November 2026. CPHI India will focus on finished dosage, excipients, natural extracts, fine chemicals and intermediates, and APIs, while PMEC India will focus on cleanroom technology, machinery and equipment, packaging, and laboratory and analytical equipment.
The shows will also be supported by key industry bodies including the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) and Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs (FOPE).
