India’s Leadership in Global Health and Pharmaceuticals Praised by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded India’s emergence as a global hub for affordable, high-quality medicines at the 6th CII Pharma & Life Sciences Summit. Highlighting India’s pivotal role in global health, Dr. Singh praised the nation’s pharmaceutical industry for ranking third in global pharmaceutical production by volume and noted the significant strides in biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars.

Dr. Singh emphasized that India’s leadership in global health is evident from the development of the world’s first DNA vaccine for COVID-19 and efforts to create the first Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for adolescent girls, aimed at preventing cervical cancer. He also highlighted India’s vital contribution to global vaccination efforts, producing 65% of the world’s vaccines, which has greatly transformed health outcomes for low- and middle-income countries.

The Minister commended the “Make in India” initiative for reducing dependency on imported Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) by boosting domestic manufacturing. He emphasized the importance of self-reliance in ensuring the availability of critical healthcare supplies. “This initiative is pivotal in strengthening domestic production and reducing our dependency on imports,” he said.

India’s bioeconomy has expanded significantly, growing 13-fold in just ten years, supported by a thriving ecosystem of nearly 6,000 bio-startups. Dr. Singh underscored the importance of sustained investment in research and development (R&D) and industry support for young entrepreneurs in order to keep up this momentum.

He also discussed the transformative potential of the next industrial revolution, which he believes will be driven by biotechnology. “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi wants India to lead this revolution,” Dr. Singh noted, adding that initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme are helping India move toward global leadership in biopharmaceuticals, bio-manufacturing, and life sciences by 2030.

Dr. Singh further highlighted the importance of infrastructure in maintaining the efficacy of pharmaceutical products, particularly as they travel across different climatic regions. He cited a recent Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) survey that revealed an extremely low incidence of spurious drugs in India.

Looking to the future, Dr. Singh expressed optimism for the Indian biotech sector and stressed the need for industry-academia collaboration. He praised the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), a Rs 50,000 crore initiative over five years, as a key step toward fostering a knowledge-driven society. The ANRF will support collaborative research in fields like advanced materials, EV mobility, and health technology by addressing infrastructure gaps in universities.

Dr. Singh’s remarks reinforced India’s growing prominence in global healthcare, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals, with a focus on innovation, self-reliance, and fostering partnerships to lead the next industrial revolution.