PM Modi Calls on Indian Pharma Firms to Break into the World’s Top Five

For the industry, the Prime Minister's call points towards a shift from scale and cost competitiveness towards building globally recognised pharmaceutical businesses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for Indian pharma firms to secure a place among the world’s top five, pushing to raise their global ambitions.

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on August 15, he linked the ambition to a broader push for Indian companies and brands to gain greater international recognition.

"We have done a lot of work in the field of pharmaceuticals. But the need of the hour is that Indian companies should also feature among the world's five largest pharmaceutical companies," PM Modi said.

"India should present its five leading pharmaceutical companies to the world, because people have expectations from us," he added.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals has described India as the world's largest supplier of generic medicines, with the country accounting for about 20% of the global supply of generics.

India is also ranked third globally in pharmaceutical production by volume and exports medicines to around 200 countries and territories.

For the industry, the Prime Minister's call points towards a shift from scale and cost competitiveness towards building globally recognised pharmaceutical businesses.

"Indian brands should become the identity of our country and a destination for the world," Modi said.

India's pharmaceutical sector has traditionally been driven by generics, vaccines, and large-scale manufacturing, while government policy has increasingly focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing, research, innovation, and capabilities in areas such as complex generics, biosimilars, and biologics.

For Indian pharma firms, reaching the world's top five would require not only larger revenues and international presence, but also sustained investment in R&D, innovation, intellectual property, advanced manufacturing, and expansion into high-value pharmaceutical segments.

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