Experts call for stronger industry-academia partnerships to make India a global biopharma hub

India has the talent and manufacturing capacity to become a global biopharma innovation hub, but sustained funding, stronger industry-academia partnerships, and a predictable regulatory system are needed to take discoveries from laboratories to patients, experts said at a session on ‘India as the Global Biopharma Hub’ at the Biotech Conclave 2026 in Chennai. The conclave is presented by VIT Chennai in association with The Hindu.

Maneesh Paul, CEO, Microvioma, and lead co-inventor and programme director of anti-infective drug enmetazobactam at Orchid Pharma, said taking a drug from an idea to the market was a long and uncertain journey. “Eighteen years from a laboratory in Chennai… that’s where this molecule was written on a piece of paper,” he said, referring to the development of enmetazobactam.

He said discovery was only the beginning, with financing, development, regulatory approval, and marketing forming part of the journey. “Discovery takes a village to work together. It’s not one person,” Dr. Paul said, stressing the need for collaboration across disciplines.

Vasan Sambandamurthy, senior vice-president, Bugworks Research India Pvt. Ltd., said India had established itself globally through manufacturing, but needed to move “from volume to value”. He identified patient capital, global-standard regulatory processes, quality as a culture and talent with global exposure as key requirements.

“We really need money. We need funds with patient character, which can support great ideas,” he said, noting that moving a drug from early discovery to translation could take eight to 10 years or more.

M.M. Balamurali, professor, Centre for Healthcare Advancement, Innovation & Research, VIT Chennai, pointed to gaps between academic research and commercialisation. He said academic institutions often lacked manufacturing-level infrastructure needed to scale up promising research. “From fundamental research to the market level product, this is very challenging,” he said, calling for stronger industry collaboration and infrastructure for translational research.

The panelists also highlighted the need for partnerships with industry and regulators from the early stages of research. The discussion was moderated by Athira Eissa Johnson, Senior Reporter, The Hindu.