Global Panel Hails India’s Biotech Potential

Hyderabad:India’s growing role in global life science and health innovation came into focus during a panel discussion titled “India’s Innovation Moment: Scaling the Next Phase of Global Impact” on Day‑2 of the BioAsia event. Policymakers, industry leaders and technology experts discussed opportunities and challenges shaping India’s innovation journey.

Dr Murali Ramachandra, CEO of Aurigene Oncology, recalled how Dr Reddy’s Laboratories pioneered innovative drug discovery, achieving early global licensing deals though few reached commercialisation. He noted limited overall successes, with companies like Glenmark, Lupin, Zydus and Orchid Pharma making progress in global trials and antibiotic approvals.

Dr Jitendra Kumar, MD of BIRAC, said public funding and start‑up ecosystems have transformed ideas into solutions, but India must now focus on commercialisation and global partnerships.

Industry voices echoed this. Sridhar Gopal of AbbVie said global firms increasingly view India as a source of innovation, citing talent, speed and digital capability. Nataraj Kalyanaraman of Bristol Myers Squibb stressed investment in advanced research and clinical infrastructure to stay competitive.

Technology leaders Vikas Jain (TCS) and Raja Jammalamadaka (Roche Digital Centre) pointed to AI and data‑driven research as growth drivers. Greg Killian of EPAM Systems added that India’s scale and talent pool position it to influence global health innovation over the next decade. ENDS