Experts Urge Funding and Industry-Academia Ties for India's Biopharma Ambitions
Experts at Biotech Conclave 2026 said India needs sustained funding, stronger industry-academia ties and predictable regulation to become a global biopharma hub.
India possesses the scientific talent and manufacturing strength to emerge as a global biopharma innovation hub, but realising that potential will require sustained funding, closer collaboration between industry and academia, and a predictable regulatory environment, experts said at a session in Chennai.
The discussion, titled 'India as the Global Biopharma Hub', was held at the Biotech Conclave 2026, presented by VIT Chennai in association with The Hindu.
Maneesh Paul, CEO of Microvioma and lead co-inventor and programme director of the anti-infective drug enmetazobactam at Orchid Pharma, described the long and uncertain path from an idea to a marketed medicine. He recalled that the molecule was first written down on a piece of paper in a Chennai laboratory 18 years ago, underscoring the patience the process demands.
Discovery, he noted, is only the starting point. Financing, development, regulatory approval and marketing all form part of the journey. Dr. Paul stressed that discovery "takes a village to work together", calling for collaboration across disciplines rather than isolated effort.
Vasan Sambandamurthy, senior vice-president at Bugworks Research India Pvt. Ltd., said India had earned global recognition through manufacturing but now needed to shift "from volume to value". He identified patient capital, regulatory processes aligned with global standards, a culture of quality and talent with international exposure as essential ingredients.
"We really need money. We need funds with patient character, which can support great ideas," he said, noting that translating a drug from early discovery to application could take eight to 10 years or more.
M.M. Balamurali, professor at the Centre for Healthcare Advancement, Innovation and Research at VIT Chennai, pointed to the gap between academic research and commercialisation. Academic institutions often lack the manufacturing-level infrastructure required to scale up promising research, he said, describing the transition from fundamental research to a market-ready product as highly challenging. He called for stronger industry collaboration and dedicated infrastructure for translational research.
Panellists also emphasised the importance of bringing industry and regulators into the research process from its earliest stages. The session was moderated by Athira Eissa Johnson, a senior reporter with The Hindu.