Ahmedabad : Gujarat’s pharmaceutical industry must shift from volume-led production to higher-value innovation to strengthen India’s global position. Industry leaders discussed this priority at the CII Pharma Summit 2026 in Ahmedabad.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Gujarat organized the summit at Ahmedabad. The event carried the theme, “Driving India’s Next Wave of API, Biopharma and Global Healthcare Leadership.”
The summit brought together government representatives, drug regulators, pharmaceutical companies and value-chain partners. Discussions focused on supply chain resilience, biopharmaceuticals, investment, regulatory standards and advanced healthcare technologies.
Industry leaders call for higher-value growth
Hetul Mehta, Convenor of the CII Gujarat Pharma & Healthcare Panel 2026 and Director of Praveen Laboratories, highlighted Gujarat’s pharmaceutical growth over the past two decades.
He said the state’s pharmaceutical footprint had expanded from approximately $3 billion to more than $60 billion. He credited first-generation entrepreneurs, MSMEs and institutional support for this growth.
Mehta called for greater diversification, digital integration and regional industrial clusters. He also highlighted the need to prepare the sector for India’s long-term development goals towards 2047.
Achal Bakeri, Chairman of the CII Gujarat State Council and Managing Director of Symphony Ltd, emphasized the gap between production volume and economic value.
He noted that India ranks third globally in pharmaceutical production by volume but eleventh by value. He called for stronger active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) supply chains, greater investment in biologics and wider adoption of artificial intelligence.
Zydus chief highlights research and talent needs
Dr Sharvil P. Patel, Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences, outlined three priorities for strengthening Indian healthcare.
He called for regulatory frameworks that keep pace with scientific advances. He also stressed the need for an additional half a billion dollars in high-risk research and development funding.
Patel further highlighted the need to expand India’s skilled pharmaceutical workforce. He said the sector should aim to grow its talent pool from three million to ten million professionals.
Regulators stress quality and compliance
Rupam Patel, Deputy Commissioner at the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), discussed the state’s regulatory framework.
He said Gujarat maintains more than 800,000 product licences across allopathic medicines. He also explained how Revised Schedule M standards promote a stronger culture of quality and compliance.
Patel highlighted the newly launched MFDCA portal and continuous quality surveillance. These initiatives aim to support compliant manufacturers while protecting public health.
Dr Ajay Sachan, Deputy Drug Controller at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Government of India, stressed the industry’s responsibility to maintain global quality standards.
He said patient welfare must remain central to every manufacturing process. He also highlighted efforts to expand advanced testing laboratories and strengthen surveillance against spurious medicines.
Dr Bhavesh Patel, Co-Convenor of the CII Gujarat Pharma & Healthcare Panel 2026, said collaboration between industry, regulators and financial experts could strengthen Gujarat’s position in advanced APIs and biopharmaceuticals.
Summit examines supply chains, investment and financing
The summit featured three technical sessions on key challenges and opportunities across the pharmaceutical sector.
The first session examined India’s pharma and API ecosystem, with a focus on supply chain resilience. Shyam Kadakia, Co-Convenor of the CII Gujarat MSME & Vendor Development Panel and Managing Director of Pinnacle Therapeutics, moderated the discussion.
The panellists included Swapnil Shah of Senores Pharmaceuticals, Dr Viranchi Shah of Saga Lifesciences, Sandeep Raktate of Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Namit Joshi, Chairman of Pharmexcil.
The second session explored investment opportunities, global markets and policy reforms. Speakers included Dr Dipesh Shah of IFSCA, Prabal Dutta of Kotak Investment Banking and Parag Swadia of Otsuka Pharmaceutical India. Puunam G. Kaushik, Deputy Managing Director of Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals, moderated the session.
The final session examined financing strategies and risk management for pharmaceutical growth. Amit Kewlani, Senior Vice President at Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Ravi Shah, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, guided the discussion.
Gujarat looks towards advanced pharmaceutical leadership
The summit highlighted the priorities shaping the next phase of pharmaceutical growth in India. Industry leaders called for stronger supply chains, greater R&D investment, skilled talent and robust quality systems.
Gujarat’s established manufacturing base offers a platform for this transition. The next challenge lies in translating that scale into higher-value products, scientific innovation and stronger global competitiveness.
