**Executive Summary**
The 9th edition of ‘India Pharma 2026’ concluded on April 14, 2026, emphasizing the need for enhanced funding, infrastructure, and speed to drive pharmaceutical innovation. The event brought together over 800 delegates and 60 speakers to strategize on transforming India from a global leader in generics into a hub for breakthrough innovation and advanced therapeutics. Key outcomes include a call for a resilient financing ecosystem and a phased roadmap for innovation-led growth.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Strategic Enablers for Growth**
* Identified three critical enablers for the next phase of sectoral transformation: funding, infrastructure, and speed.
* Emphasized a strategic shift from manufacturing scale to breakthrough innovation and advanced therapeutics.
* Highlighted the urgency for coordinated action across government, industry, and academia to remain globally competitive.
**Pharma Financing Ecosystem**
* Underscored the role of timely capital in driving R&D and scientific advancements.
* Proposed a diverse funding architecture combining grant-based support for academia/non-profits with capital-based instruments for the private sector.
* Explored various funding avenues including venture capital, private equity, blended finance, and public-private partnerships.
* Addressed the need for risk-sharing mechanisms to manage long R&D cycles and high-risk investments.
**Innovation and Sectoral Transformation**
* Focused on moving beyond incremental progress toward bold, innovation-driven transformation.
* Stressed the importance of building a comprehensive value chain spanning discovery, development, and deployment.
* Identified the COVID-19 pandemic as a successful testbed that validated India’s capabilities in rapid innovation and infrastructure.
* Highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the need for accountability across all stakeholders.
**Impact Analysis**
**Government and Regulators**
**Impact:** They are positioned as central coordinators responsible for fostering a cohesive ecosystem for product development and market access.
**Action Required:** Develop a phased roadmap with well-defined milestones and create regulatory pathways that support the commercialization of innovative drugs.
**Pharmaceutical Industry**
**Impact:** Industry players face a shift in focus from established leadership in generics and vaccines toward high-risk, high-reward innovative medicines.
**Action Required:** Increase sustained investment in R&D, adopt AI technologies, and engage in deeper collaboration with academia to build a pipeline of original Indian products.
**Academia and Research Institutions**
**Impact:** These institutions are increasingly linked with industry to move discovery-stage research toward commercialization.
**Action Required:** Utilize grant-based support from bodies like the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) to focus on cutting-edge science and discovery.
**Investors (VC, PE, and Private Sector)**
**Impact:** The sector presents new growth pathways through diversified financing models and public-private partnerships.
**Action Required:** Provide strategic capital and develop innovative financing models that support the entire value chain from early-stage research to market.
Key Entities Referenced
India Pharma 2026: The 9th edition of a major international conference aimed at strengthening India’s pharmaceutical and biopharma ecosystem through innovation, funding, and infrastructure.
Department of Pharmaceuticals: The primary government department under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers responsible for organizing the initiative and steering pharmaceutical policy in India.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): The research funding body highlighted for developing a new funding architecture to support pharmaceutical R&D in both academia and the private sector.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI): A lead industry association and partner in organizing India Pharma 2026, representing strategic private sector interests in the pharmaceutical domain.
Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA): A key industry body representing major research-based pharmaceutical companies in India, central to the event's policy and innovation deliberations.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers :
Department of Pharmaceuticals
Two-day ‘India Pharma 2026’ concludes with
strong call for enhanced funding, infrastructure
and speed to drive pharmaceutical innovation
Discussions on the Second Day focus on Strategic
Investments and Forward-Looking Ideas
Over 800 delegates, 60 national and international speakers
participated 10 sessions
Posted On: 14 APR 2026 5:15PM by PIB Delhi
The 9th edition of India Pharma 2026, organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of
Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India, in association with FICCI and IPA, New Delhi,
successfully concluded today, after two days of extensive deliberations aimed at strengthening India’s
pharmaceutical and biopharma ecosystem.
On the second day of the event, two plenary sessions and a valedictory session were held, focusing on
strengthening the pharmaceutical financing ecosystem and charting forward-looking pathways for
innovation-led growth. The discussions brought together key stakeholders from industry, finance,
academia and policy, highlighting the importance of strategic investments, infrastructure and speed indriving the next phase of sectoral transformation. The sessions emphasised a shift from scale to
breakthrough innovation, with a strong focus on advanced therapeutics and unlocking new growth
frontiers through investment and innovation synergy.
The event witnessed participation from over 800 delegates across both days, with more than 60 speakers
engaging in 10 sessions including 6 plenary sessions, supported by over 20 partner organisations.
Delivering the valedictory address, Shri. Satyaprakash T L, Joint Secretary, Department of
Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers noted that discussions across sessions converged
around three critical enablers for the next phase of growth: funding, infrastructure and speed. While
stakeholders expressed varied views on prioritisation, there was a shared understanding that coordinated
action across government, industry and academia is essential. Emphasising the urgency of collaboration,
he stated that India must proactively position itself in the evolving global pharmaceutical landscape to
remain competitive.
Earlier in the day two plenary sessions were conducted. The session on “Developing a Vibrant Pharma
Financing Ecosystem” underscored the critical role of timely and strategic capital in driving
pharmaceutical innovation. Speakers highlighted that sustained growth in the sector depends not only on
scientific advancements but also on the availability of diverse and accessible financing mechanisms. Dr.
Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Chief Executive Officer, Anusandhan National Research Foundation
(ANRF), outlined the evolving research funding architecture, noting that it combines grant-based support
for academia and not-for-profit institutions with capital-based instruments for the private sector.
The discussion explored funding avenues such as venture capital, private equity, blended finance, and
public-private partnerships, which are opening new growth pathways for pharmaceutical enterprises.
Emphasis was placed on fostering stronger collaboration between industry, investors, regulators, and
research institutions to build a resilient and responsive funding ecosystem. Panelists also addressed key
financial challenges faced by the sector, including long R&D cycles, high-risk investments, and regulatory
and market uncertainties. The need for innovative financing models that support the entire value chain-
from early-stage research to commercialization, was highlighted as essential for accelerating innovation
and enhancing global competitiveness.The sixth plenary session, moderated by Shri Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, Indian
Pharmaceutical Alliance, focused on charting India’s next phase of pharmaceutical growth by moving
beyond incremental progress toward bold, innovation-driven transformation. Reflecting on the broader
evolution of India’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical ecosystem, Dr Renu Swarup, Former Secretary
to Govt of India, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology while addressing
session on ‘Reflections and Big Moves to Leapfrog Innovation’, emphasised that the country has made
significant strides in building a comprehensive innovation value chain over the past decade, spanning
discovery, development and deployment. India has successfully strengthened linkages between academia
and industry, which were earlier fragmented, and has created a more cohesive ecosystem for product
development. Drawing on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, she described it as a testbed that
validated India’s capabilities in areas such as financing, partnerships, infrastructure and rapid innovation.
Shri Dilip Shanghvi, Executive Chairman, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, underlined that
pharmaceutical innovation is inherently high-risk and requires mechanisms to share risk across
stakeholders, while emphasizing sustained investment in R&D, the importance of reimbursement
pathways, and building a strong pipeline of innovative Indian products. Noting that while India has
established itself as a global leader in generics and vaccines, the next phase lies in advancing innovative
medicines and cutting-edge science to shape the future of global healthcare. Shri Pankaj Patel,
Chairman, Zydus Lifesciences, emphasized the need for stronger financial support for research,
expanding market access for new drugs.
Shri Winselow Tucker, Co-Chair of the FICCI Pharma Committee and President and General Manager,
Eli Lilly India, highlighted that successful transformation in the pharmaceutical sector requires a clear
strategic intent supported by a phased roadmap with well-defined milestones.
Industry leaders emphasised fostering deeper collaboration between government, academia, and industry,
while highlighting the transformative role of AI and the importance of accountability across stakeholders.
The sessions collectively highlighted that while India has built strong foundations in pharmaceuticals, the
next phase of growth will require bold investments, deeper ecosystem collaboration, and a shift towards
innovation-led development to position the country as a global leader in advanced therapeutics.
***PC/PM
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