India is home to over 3,500 biotechnology companies, according to its Ministry of Science and Technology. That number is expected to balloon to 10,000 by late 2025. The highly concentrated biotech industry has become known as a sunrise sector in the populous South Asian country.
Top Biotech Companies in India
- Schrodinger
- Pfizer
- Biogenex
- IQVIA
- Lupin
- Wockhardt
From the first life sciences company to call India home to the latest, these organizations are contributing to its ascent.
Top Biotech Companies in India
Lilly is a pharmaceutical and biotech company that develops medication for diabetes, growth hormone deficiencies, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, various cancers and clinical depression. Lilly’s history is rich — it was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1876, opened locations in India in 1993 and mass-produced insulin and the first polio vaccine in the 1990s.
Wockhardt is an Indian pharmaceutical and biotechnology company headquartered in Mumbai. With manufacturing plants in India, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, the company produces vaccines, pharmaceutical ingredients and nutrition products. Founded in 1967, Wockhardt brought betadine to India in the 1980s, created an early insulin delivery device in the 2000s and provided the United Kingdom with Covid-19 vaccines in 2020.
Baxter is an American biotech company with multiple locations in India — including research and development and IT sites in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, a manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad and a global center of excellence in Gurgaon. Baxter specializes in technology used to treat chronic and acute medical conditions like hemophilia and similar bleeding disorders, immune deficiencies and end-stage kidney disease. It produces regenerative medicine, vaccines, and recombinant and blood plasma proteins.
Founded in San Ramon, California, in 1981, BioGenex develops and commercializes molecular pathology systems. Its in vitro diagnostic solutions are designed for life science research, tumor diagnosis and prognosis assessment. By partnering with academic and medical institutions, the international company provides economical solutions for research and personalized medicine. In 2006, BioGenex opened its first Indian subsidiary in Hyderabad.
Novo Nordisk is a Danish biotech company that develops pharmaceutical products, specifically growth hormones and diabetes medications like Ozempic. Novo Nordisk is known for commercializing the production of insulin in 1923. As the company expanded, it launched its presence in India in 1935, with its Bengaluru arm opening in 1992. Today, in addition to producing medication, Novo Nordisk partners with UNICEF to prevent childhood obesity.
Sanzyme is a biotech company that develops and manufactures probiotics, gonadotropins and sex hormones. It also partners with pharmaceutical companies to provide IVF solutions to their markets. Sanzyme’s integrated manufacturing facility is located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, and houses its research and development team. Sanzyme’s products are registered in over 30 countries.
IQVIA is an international biotech company that creates health information technology and conducts clinical research, with the mission of improving public health and reducing health inequities. It specializes in advanced analytics, technology solutions and clinical research services for life sciences. Its recently launched IQVIA Connected Intelligence uses artificial intelligence to develop new healthcare innovations. The company’s workforce of over 86,000 employees is spread over 100 countries.
Siemens Healthineers is a biotech company that uses research to improve clinical decision-making. According to its website, Siemens Healthineers’ reach is broad — it reports that more than 90 percent of leading hospitals use its technology. With locations in over 70 countries, including India, Siemens holds roughly 24,000 technical intellectual property rights and 15,000 granted patents.
Biotech startup Mapmygenome produces personalized at-home health and wellness tools. Its products — which include diagnostic genomic tests, DNA tests, skincare tests and disease prevention tests — are designed to offer users insight into their ancestry, fitness, digestion and general fitness. Mapmygenome is headquartered in Hyderabad.
Known for its Covid-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. It develops medicine and technology to treat inflammation, cancer, infection and cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal conditions. Headquartered in Sweden, the company has expanded worldwide, with Indian locations in Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Pune and Hyderabad.
Lupin was created to combat the spread of tuberculosis in 1968, when the disease was catastrophic in India. Based in Mumbai, Lupin is now a pharmaceutical company that produces medications for pediatric, diabetic, cardiovascular, asthma and anti-tuberculosis care. Its international workforce is spread over six continents and provides medication to over 100 countries.
Parexel is an American biopharmaceutical company that provides clinical development services. It employs 21,000 people worldwide, with over 5,700 team members spread over five Indian locations. Team members in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Mohali and Thane contribute to Parexel’s goal of increasing access to and participation in clinical research.
Schrödinger is an international biotech and software company that develops tools for materials science and pharmaceutical use. Its physics-based computational platform, molecular dynamics simulations and virtual screening tools help scientists discover the novel molecules needed to create new drugs. Schrödinger has two Indian sites: Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is a clinical research and life sciences company that produces a range of consumables, instruments, software and equipment that supports sample, material, chemical and characterization analysis, as well as biological-based therapeutics manufacturing. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Thermo Fisher Scientific manages hundreds of locations, including 42 sites in India.
Pfizer is an international biotech and pharmaceutical company headquartered in New York City. It develops drugs and vaccines for neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, immunology and oncology. Pfizer-India has been in operation for over 70 years. According to its website, its Indian sites produce over 4.5 billion units of medicine annually for more than 50 countries.
Beyond its widely distributed aspirin, Bayer produces antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and seeds, biotechnology products and consumer healthcare products. With the help of artificial intelligence, German-based Bayer conducts healthcare research and develops over-the-counter products across India, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America.
London-based GSK is an international pharmaceutical and biotech company with a 100-year history in India. GSK specializes in technology and medicine for immunology, HIV, infectious disease and oncology. With legacy products like amoxicillin, zidovudine, mercaptopurine and pyrimethamine, GSK more recently developed the first malaria vaccine, which was prequalified by the World Health Organization in 2021.
Johnson & Johnson is a global biotech company that produces pharmaceuticals, medical technology and vision care solutions. When Johnson & Johnson launched its Indian clinical arm in 2016, it opened its clinical trials in major cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru. Since its founding in 1886, J&J has expanded to employ over 125,000 employees in 60 countries.
Biocon is a biopharmaceutical company based in Bengaluru. Having garnered over 1,000 patents in 40 years, it manufactures biosimilar insulins, novel biologics and antibodies — sold in India as branded formulations. Biocon’s cost-effective products treat cancer, diabetes and autoimmune diseases in patients across 120 countries. According to its website, Biocon employs over 16,300 people worldwide.
Since its launch in 1987, Hester Biosciences Limited has evolved from a proprietary trading business into an international animal biological manufacturing company. With a presence in over 30 countries, Hester Biosciences is headquartered in Ahmedabad. It produces animal health products and vaccines, including poultry products, diagnostic labs and mastitis control programs for cattle.
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