The two-day India Pharma 2026, the flagship event of the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, concluded with a strong consensus that funding, infrastructure and speed will define the next phase of India’s pharmaceutical innovation journey. 

The ninth edition of the event brought together over 800 delegates, more than 60 national and international speakers, and 20+ partner organisations across 10 sessions, reinforcing the growing strategic relevance of the platform for India’s pharma and biopharma roadmap. 

Delivering the valedictory address, Satyaprakash T L, Joint Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, said discussions across sessions converged around “three critical enablers for the next phase of growth: funding, infrastructure and speed.” He further underlined the urgency of coordinated action, stating that “India must proactively position itself in the evolving global pharmaceutical landscape to remain competitive.”

A major takeaway from the second day was the sector’s shift from scale-led growth to breakthrough innovation, particularly in advanced therapeutics and translational science. 

Speaking during the plenary on “Reflections and Big Moves to Leapfrog Innovation,” Dr Renu Swarup, former Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, said India has built a comprehensive innovation value chain across discovery, development and deployment over the last decade. She highlighted how India has strengthened previously fragmented academia–industry linkages, while calling the COVID-19 period a “testbed” that validated India’s capabilities in financing, partnerships, infrastructure and rapid innovation.

Industry leaders stressed that the next growth phase will require timely capital, innovative financing models, and deeper risk-sharing mechanisms.

Dilip Shanghvi, Executive Chairman, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, said “pharmaceutical innovation is inherently high-risk and requires mechanisms to share risk across stakeholders,” while emphasising sustained investment in R&D and the need to build a strong pipeline of innovative Indian products. 

Echoing the need for stronger financial support, Pankaj Patel, Chairman, Zydus Lifesciences, emphasised “stronger financial support for research” and the need to expand market access for new drugs. 

Winselow Tucker, 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.”

The financing-focused plenary also stressed that innovation success depends not only on scientific breakthroughs but equally on venture capital, private equity, blended finance, and public-private partnerships that can support the full value chain from discovery to commercialisation. 

The conference concluded with a strong message that while India has already built global leadership in generics and vaccines, the next leap must come from innovative medicines, advanced therapeutics and cutting-edge science. 

Participants agreed that bold investments, stronger ecosystem collaboration, and faster innovation pathways will be essential for India to evolve into a global leader in high-value pharmaceutical innovation