Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda stated that India is transitioning from being known as the “pharmacy of the world” to emerging as a “global innovation hub” in pharmaceuticals, driven by healthcare security, manufacturing resilience and scientific excellence.
Addressing the 11th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit in Mumbai through a video message, Nadda underscored India’s growing leadership in the global pharmaceutical sector and emphasised the need to anchor global supply chains not only through scale but through quality, reliability and innovation.
He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s pharmaceutical sector is undergoing structural transformation, moving beyond volume based manufacturing to innovation driven growth. He noted that India must position itself as a trusted partner in global healthcare by combining robust manufacturing capabilities with cutting edge research and strong regulatory standards.
Highlighting key policy interventions, Nadda referred to the Biopharma Shakti initiative with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore, aimed at positioning India as a global biopharmaceutical manufacturing hub. He said the initiative will strengthen domestic production capacity, enhance research capabilities and build resilience in critical supply chains.
He also spoke about the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech scheme, which is driving innovation in new drug discovery, complex generics, vaccines and advanced medical technologies. The scheme, he said, reflects the Government’s commitment to nurturing a research driven pharmaceutical ecosystem that competes globally on innovation rather than cost alone.
Nadda stressed that India’s policy framework is aligned with the goal of advancing quality centric growth. He emphasised that the future of the pharmaceutical industry will depend on embedding quality as an organisational value rather than treating it as a compliance formality. Calling upon industry stakeholders, he urged sustained investment in skilled human resources, modern systems and infrastructure to build a durable quality first ecosystem.
The Minister also highlighted the growing role of emerging technologies, particularly the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence. He said AI has the potential to strengthen predictive diagnostics, pharmaceutical traceability, pharmacovigilance and quality assurance systems. Responsible technology integration, he noted, can improve transparency, reduce risks and enhance patient safety across the value chain.
He reiterated that India’s ambition is to evolve into a global pharmaceutical leader that blends scale with trust, innovation with collaboration and growth with responsibility. He said the transformation from a manufacturing powerhouse to an innovation hub will not only strengthen domestic healthcare security but also contribute significantly to global health outcomes.
The 11th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit provided a platform for industry leaders, regulators and experts to deliberate on quality standards, regulatory harmonisation, innovation pathways and sustainable growth in the pharmaceutical sector.
With sustained policy support, innovation funding and technological adoption, India’s pharmaceutical industry is positioning itself to move beyond its traditional role and shape the next phase of global healthcare development.
