In Mumbai on Monday, Union Minister JP Nadda called on India’s pharmaceutical industry to take a leading role in reshaping global supply chains by prioritising not just scale, but also quality, reliability and innovation. Addressing the 11th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit virtually, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers said as supply networks evolve, trust will be the defining factor of global leadership in the decades ahead.
He noted that in the post-Covid era and amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, global supply chains are being restructured to reduce dependence on single sources and diversify across geographies. “In this changing environment India is well-positioned to serve as a dependable anchor, provided it strengthens its focus on high standards and technological advancement,” he said.
Nadda highlighted that India is adopting emerging technologies in a responsible manner, with artificial intelligence being deployed for early disease detection, predictive diagnostics and improved healthcare outreach. “In the pharmaceutical sector, such technologies can enable smarter research, enhanced pharmacovigilance and stronger quality systems, ensuring that innovation supports and complements human expertise rather than replacing it,” he said.
For decades, India has been regarded as the ‘pharmacy of the world’. “Under the current government, the country is now moving toward becoming an innovator of the world, placing healthcare security, manufacturing resilience and scientific excellence at the core of national development,” he added.
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He pointed to the Biopharma Shakti Initiative, which has an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore, as a major step toward establishing India as a global biopharmaceutical manufacturing hub. The initiative aims to boost domestic production, expand research capabilities, set up more than 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites and strengthen the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization with a scientific review cadre aligned to global standards.
In addition, the Rs 5,000 crore PRIP (Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector) scheme is supporting the development of new medicines, complex generics, vaccines and advanced medical technologies.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to regulatory excellence, Nadda said the government is investing in scientific expertise, digital systems and institutional capacity to ensure predictability and alignment with global benchmarks. He stressed that infrastructure investments must be matched by equal emphasis on people, systems and leadership, adding that a quality-first approach—from sourcing raw materials to releasing finished products—is essential for sustaining India’s global competitiveness.
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