Mumbai, February 23 Union Minister J P Nadda on Monday urged the domestic pharmaceutical industry to anchor the redesigned global supply chain not only with scale, but also with quality, reliability, and innovation.
Addressing virtually the 11th edition of the Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit here, the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, as well as for Chemicals and Fertilizers, said that India is responsibly embracing emerging technologies, with artificial intelligence being leveraged for early disease detection, predictive diagnostics, and improved outreach.
"As global supply chains are redesigned, India must anchor them, not only with scale, but also with quality, reliability, and innovation. Trust will define leadership in the coming decades," he said.
In the post-COVID era and amid changing geopolitical landscapes, the global supply chain is being restructured with new models reducing single-source dependency and creating new avenues with diverse geographies.
India is also responsibly embracing emerging technologies, he said, adding that artificial intelligence is being leveraged for early disease detection, predictive diagnostics, and improved outreach.
"For pharmaceuticals, this means smarter research, better pharma co-vigilance, and more responsible quality systems, ensuring that technology complements human expertise," the minister emphasized.
For decades, India has been recognized as the "pharmacy of the world," and today, under the present government, the country is transitioning toward becoming the "innovator of the world," with healthcare security, manufacturing resilience, and scientific excellence at the centre of the national development, he said.
The Biopharma Shakti Initiative, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, will position India as a global biopharmaceutical manufacturing hub, strengthening domestic production, expanding research capacity, creating over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites, and reinforcing the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization with a scientific review cadre aligned to global standards, he stated.
The Rs 5,000 crore PRIP (Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector) scheme is driving innovation in new medicines, complex generics, vaccines, and advanced medical technologies, he added.
Nadda also said that India remains "committed" to regulatory excellence and that "We are investing in scientific expertise, digital systems, and institutional capacity to ensure predictability and global alignment."
The minister also said that the investment in infrastructure must be matched by the investment in people, systems, and leadership.
"A quality-first mindset across every stage from raw material sourcing to finished product release is the only path to sustain global competitiveness," he stated.