Globally, India is the largest provider of generic medications. Often referred to as ‘the pharmacy of the world,” the country provides more than half of the world’s vaccines and one-fifth of production volume for medications. And, with the help of the following India-based companies, the country sets out to grow its pharmaceutical sector to $130 billion by 2030.
Top Pharma Companies in India:
- Pfizer
- Sun Pharmaceutical
- Cipla
- Divi’s Lab
- Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
- Zydus Lifesciences
- Mankind Pharma
- Ajanta Pharma
- Torrent Pharmaceuticals
- Lupin
20 Top Pharma Companies in India
Headquartered in Mumbai, Alkem Laboratories is a worldwide manufacturer of pharmaceutical generics, formulations and nutraceuticals. With a portfolio of over 800 products — which includes best selling drugs Clavam and Taxim-O — the company has become a top provider of anti-infective medications.
Sun Pharmaceutical is India’s largest drug maker by revenue, ranking fourth in generics worldwide. The Mumbai-based company sells specialty prescription medicines, covering areas like psychiatry, dermatology and oncology, as well as over-the-counter products like vitamins and topical creams to more than 100 countries. Of its 43 manufacturing facilities, 14 are dedicated to active pharmaceutical ingredients used in anti-cancers, steroids, sex hormones and controlled substances therapies.
Aurobindo Pharma distributes generic medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients to more than 125 countries. Founded in 1988, the company specializes in semi-synthetic penicillins, and has a research portfolio that spans neurosciences, cardiovascular, antiretroviral, anti-diabetic, gastroenterology and antibiotic therapies. Partnered with major players in the space, like AstraZeneca and Pfizer, the company claims over 500 patents.
Cipla is the third-largest drug producer in India, with more than 1,500 products across 65 therapeutic categories. Founded in 1935, the company develops treatments for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression while providing low-cost drugs for AIDS and the avian flu. Cipla’s corporate headquarters is in Mumbai, with more than 47 manufacturing sites around the world. And, for six years in a row, Cipla was named a ‘Great Place to Work’ in India.
Multinational pharma company Emcure Pharmaceuticals distributes more than 350 brands of formulations, biologics and active pharmaceutical ingredients worldwide. The Pune-based company focuses on HIV antivirals, as well as other major therapeutic segments, including gynecology, oncology and blood-related conditions. In total, it has 13 manufacturing facilities and five research and development centers throughout India.
Abbott India, a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, offers over 400 branded generic pharmaceuticals across 80 percent of therapeutic categories, from women’s health and gastroenterology to metabolic disorders and primary care. The Illinois-based company expanded its operations to India in 1910, where it fulfills the majority of its product requirements from two local plants, located in Himachal Pradesh and Goa.
Systopic Laboratories is a pharmaceutical company that primarily focuses on dermatology. Founded in 1984, the company now creates therapeutics across a variety of segments, from orthopedics and gynecology to diabetology and cardiology. Its main corporate office is located in New Delhi, with several other locations throughout India, including Chennai, Bangalore and Pune.
Pfizer is a global biotech and pharma company that develops drugs, vaccines and therapies for disease treatment, prevention and overall wellness. Its product portfolio includes household brands like Advil, Viagra, Robitussin and Zoloft, as well as the world’s first FDA-approved Covid-19 vaccine. While Pfizer is headquartered in New York, the company expanded its operations to India in 1950, where it now operates three manufacturing plants and a number of offices throughout the country.
Divi’s Laboratories is one of the largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1990, the Hyderabad-based company exports thousands of tons of medications to more than 100 countries every year. It also develops intermediate and nutraceutical ingredients, and offers custom synthesis services to 12 of the top 20 Big Pharma companies.
In its mission to treat diabetes, cancer and autoimmune diseases, Biocon manufactures generic active pharmaceutical ingredients to over 120 countries. The Bangalore-based company also develops novel biologics, biosimilar insulins and antibodies for the Indian market that focus on metabolics, oncology, immunotherapy and nephrology.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories is a global manufacturer of pharmaceuticals — and was one of the first India-based companies to do so. Today, it distributes active pharmaceutical ingredients, generics, branded generics, biosimilars and over-the-counter drugs to more than half a billion patients worldwide. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the company specializes in gastro-enterology, cardiovascular, diabetology, oncology, pain management as well as dermatology. Dr. Reddy’s is a founding member of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and plans to triple its customer reach by 2030.
Arbro Pharmaceuticals provides more than 700 branded and generic formulations, from antibiotics to psychotropics, for both human and veterinary use. The company also serves as a contract manufacturer, producing cosmetics, nutraceuticals, herbal supplements and even hand sanitizers for other companies. Deploying over 15,000 testing methods, Arbro has become a market leader in safety testing, where the company assists prominent brands, like Sun Pharma, Unilever and Nestlé, via its lab in Delhi.
Mumbai-based, multinational pharma company Lupin is one of the world’s largest providers of generic medications by revenue. Specializing in areas like pediatrics, anti-infectives and asthma treatments, the company supplies both branded and generic drugs, biosimilars and active pharmaceutical ingredients to more than 100 countries. Its research and development program is located near Pune, where more than 1,400 scientists work on novel drug discovery and biotech solutions.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals produces generic, branded and over-the-counter medicines to treat respiratory, dermatologic and oncologic conditions. The Mumbai-based company operates in over 80 countries, and is known for its nasal spray Ryaltris and COVID-19 treatment FabiFlu. It has four research and development centers spread across India.
Headquartered in Ahmedabad, Torrent Pharmaceuticals is a multinational pharma company with more than 2,000 products. Founded in 1959, the company is known for its therapies for cardiovascular, central nervous and gastro-intestinal systems as well as women’s healthcare. It hosts seven manufacturing plants and 23 distribution centers throughout India, while upholding international operations in more than 40 different countries.
Piramal Pharma provides end-to-end drug manufacturing services across 15 global facilities and a worldwide distribution network, delivering medications to more than 100 different countries. Its product portfolio includes inhalation anesthetics, pain management therapies and injectable anti-infectives as well as ophthalmological formulations thanks to its partnership with Allergan. Although its corporate headquarters is located in Kentucky, more than half of Piramal Pharma’s facilities are located in Indian cities, including a drug discovery plant in Ahmedabad and a vaccine and biologics process development and manufacturing center in Hyderabad.
Ajanta Pharma has more than 1,400 branded and generic formulations that are distributed in over 30 countries. Founded in 1973, the company has a focus on ophthalmology, dermatology, cardiology and pain management. Of its seven manufacturing facilities throughout India, six produce finished formulations — available in a variety of forms, from tablets and capsules to eye drops and injectables — while the other exclusively turns out active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Zydus Lifesciences distributes formulations, biologics, generics and vaccines to over 25 global markets. With 1,400 researchers spread across 19 sites, the Ahmedabad-based company also contributes to the development of novel therapeutics, such as the world’s first needle-free, plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19, ZyCoV-D, through a research-driven innovation program.
GSK is a London-based pharma and biotech company that specializes in treating infectious diseases, HIV, oncology as well as respiratory and immunology. The company is credited with discovering and developing the world’s first malaria vaccine, as well as “essential medicines” such as amoxicillin, mercaptopurine, pyrimethamine and zidovudine, according to the World Health Organization. It has since expanded its India-based operations with a state-of-the-art Global Capability Center in Bangalore, with accompanying satellite sites in Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Mankind Pharma is the nation’s fourth largest pharmaceutical company in terms of sales, known for providing access to cost-effective prescription medications and over-the-counter products. The Delhi-based company particularly thrives in the sexual health sector, featuring best-selling sexual wellness items Manforce condoms, Prega News pregnancy-test kits and Unwanted-72 emergency contraception pills. Founded in 1991, Mankind Pharma operates 25 factories and six research and development facilities throughout the country.
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