India transitioning from ‘pharmacy of the world’ to ‘global innovation hub’: Union Minister J.P. Nadda

India, long recognized as the “pharmacy of the world,” is now steadily transitioning into an “innovator of the world” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda said on Monday. Addressing the 11th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit in Mumbai through a video message, the Minister emphasized that this transformation is being driven by a strong focus on healthcare security, manufacturing resilience, and scientific excellence.

Highlighting India’s growing stature in the global pharmaceutical landscape, Shri Nadda said the country must anchor global supply chains not merely through scale, but through quality, reliability and sustained innovation. He underlined that India’s pharmaceutical growth story is entering a new phase where trust and technological advancement will play an equally critical role alongside production capacity.

Referring to major policy initiatives supporting this shift, the Minister pointed out that the government’s policy framework is fully aligned with the vision of making India a global innovation hub. He noted that the Biopharma Shakti initiative, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, aims to position India as a global biopharmaceutical manufacturing hub by strengthening domestic production capabilities and expanding research capacity. In addition, the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech (PRIP) scheme is fostering innovation in new medicines, complex generics, vaccines and advanced medical technologies.

Shri Nadda also underscored the importance of emerging technologies, particularly the responsible use of artificial intelligence, in enhancing predictive diagnostics, pharmaceutical traceability, pharmacovigilance, and overall quality systems. He stressed that quality must be embedded as a core organizational value rather than treated merely as a regulatory obligation. Calling upon industry leaders and stakeholders, he emphasized the need for continuous investment in skilled human resources, robust systems, and modern infrastructure to build a sustainable “quality-first” ecosystem.

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Reiterating the government’s broader vision, the Minister said India seeks to emerge as a global pharmaceutical leader that combines scale with trust, innovation with collaboration, and growth with responsibility. Such an approach, he noted, will not only strengthen India’s global standing but also contribute meaningfully to improved healthcare outcomes worldwide.