Novartis is strengthening its position in India as a pure-play innovative medicines company, with a sharper focus on key therapy segments such as cardiovascular diseases, oncology, and immunology. The move follows the company’s decision earlier this year to divest its stake in its listed Indian subsidiary while retaining its innovative medicines business through its unlisted arm, Novartis Healthcare.
Strategic Shift Toward Innovative Medicines
In February, Novartis announced the sale of its 71 percent stake in Novartis India for nearly ₹1,446 crore to a group of private equity investors led by ChrysCapital. The strategic restructuring marked the company’s exit from its legacy portfolio business in India while reinforcing its commitment to high-value innovative therapies. According to Amitabh Dube, Country President and Managing Director of Novartis India, the company is now positioning India as a critical contributor to its global innovation ecosystem.
India Moving Up the Pharmaceutical Value Chain
Traditionally, multinational pharmaceutical companies have primarily used India for Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, while early-stage scientific discovery and innovation-focused research remained concentrated in developed markets. However, Novartis is increasingly expanding India’s role into early-stage drug development. The company recently initiated Phase I clinical research activities in Ahmedabad while continuing advanced-stage trials across its major therapeutic segments. India now contributes to nearly every molecule commercialized globally by the company, reflecting the country’s growing importance in research, development, and innovation.
India Contributes to Global Breakthrough Therapies
India has already played a significant role in several major global therapies developed by Novartis.
These include:
Coartem Baby, the world’s first antimalarial treatment developed specifically for infants
Inclisiran (Sybrava), a cardiovascular therapy designed to lower cholesterol levels
Lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto), a targeted radioligand therapy for prostate cancer
The company’s India Development Hub contributed extensively to Coartem Baby through clinical operations, pharmaceutical development, regulatory submissions, and safety monitoring.
India Emerges as a Key Global Development Hub
Novartis currently operates one of its three global development hubs in India, with facilities located in Hyderabad and Mumbai. The other two hubs are based in Basel, Switzerland, and the United States. The India hub has become increasingly important for the company’s global drug development programmes, supporting both clinical and scientific functions across multiple therapeutic areas.
Commitment to Long-Term Growth in India
Amitabh Dube, Novartis India Country President and MD emphasized that the company’s long-term commitment to India remains strong despite the restructuring of its legacy business. “Our philosophy has been to transform into a pure-play innovative medicines company,” he said, adding that retaining older brands without focused investments would not align with the company’s innovation-driven strategy. The company launched two new molecules in India last year and plans to introduce one additional therapy this year, followed by two more launches next year.
Focus on Innovation-Led Healthcare Expansion
As India strengthens its capabilities in clinical research, scientific discovery, and pharmaceutical innovation, global healthcare companies are increasingly viewing the country as more than just a manufacturing and trial destination. As reported by ebmnews.com, for Novartis, the evolving strategy highlights India’s growing role in driving next-generation therapies, innovation-led healthcare solutions, and global pharmaceutical research.
