AI will play a pivotal role in accelerating drug discovery, enabling precision medicine and shaping a smarter, innovation-led healthcare ecosystem, according to experts.

Pharma leaders emphasised reimagining processes rather than merely digitising existing systems. They highlighted the growing importance of strong data and technology foundations to enable scalable AI adoption and stressed the immediate benefits of automation in improving clinical efficiency.

The first day of the 9th ‘India Pharma 2026’ witnessed four high-impact plenary sessions that brought together policymakers, industry leaders, regulators and technology experts to chart the future of India’s pharmaceutical and life sciences ecosystem.

The inaugural plenary session highlighted the urgent need to bridge the gap between policy intent and on-ground execution.

Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, emphasised industry-led model for Research and Development, importance of strengthening government lab networks and attuning regulatory model to that of European systems.

Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research, said though research funding has increased manifold over the last few years, the country needs a Bharat model of R&D with confidence of the market in the innovators and increased trust between industry and academia.

According to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, industry leaders echoed the need for increased venture capital participation and co-funding mechanisms to nurture research-driven enterprises, stronger industry-academia integration and underscored the importance of integrated ecosystems to translate early-stage discoveries into global solutions.

The second plenary session focused on creating a predictable, efficient and globally aligned regulatory framework.

Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drug Controller General of India, highlighted the importance of stakeholder consultations in shaping responsive regulatory systems.

The third plenary session explored the transformative potential of artificial intelligence across the pharmaceutical value chain.

The fourth session brought focus to India’s growing role in the global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CRDMO) landscape.

The panel noted that India’s CRDMO industry, currently valued at around $8 billion, has been growing at a robust pace of 10–12 per cent, reflecting strong global outsourcing demand.