Why Global Pharma is Moving to India: The 2026 India CDMO Boom and Market Outlook

2. Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)

Indian players move up the value chain from basic fill-and-finish to early-stage complex drug formulation development and full conjugation capabilities.

• Shilpa Biologicals commissioned a fully integrated ADC drug substance GMP facility in Dharwad, Karnataka, in mid-2026. The site offers end-to-end payload synthesis, linker development, and conjugation under a single regulatory umbrella.
• Piramal Pharma Solutions scales high-potency capabilities and provides end-to-end ADC development from discovery to commercial fill-finish.
• Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services, a Dr. Reddy’s subsidiary, uses its Integrated Drug Discovery platform for complex bioconjugation and advanced computational tools to engineer tumor-selective smart linkers.

3. Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Infrastructure

India’s cell and gene therapy CDMO sector expands rapidly, driven by advances in low-cost CAR-T therapies.

• Bharat Biotech launched India’s first large-scale, 50,000-square-foot integrated Cell & Gene Therapy facility and leverages its viral vaccine expertise to manufacture clinical- and human-grade vectors at scale.
• Immuneel Therapeutics established commercial-grade infrastructure specifically for genetically modified human immune cells used in CAR-T therapies.
• Reliance Life Sciences operates a dedicated Regenerative Medicine Group focused on autologous and allogeneic cell therapies that target hematological and cardiac disorders.

“Gene and cell therapies represent some of the most intricate, scientifically advanced treatments available today, involving sophisticated processes that require expertise in precise genetic manipulation and specialized manufacturing capabilities,” said Dr Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech.

4. mRNA Technology Platforms

Post-pandemic investments allow Indian firms to mature RNA-LNP delivery frameworks and extend them into oncology and rare genetic disorders.

• Gennova Biopharmaceuticals developed India’s first thermostable mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and has since scaled its modular platform for customizable therapeutic oncology targets.
• Aurigene and Syngene integrate mRNA-based platforms into their discovery pipelines, offering custom reagent generation, transcription vectors and formulation optimization for global virtual biotechs.

These investments move Indian CDMOs from transactional manufacturing into genuine scientific partnership across biologics pipelines, formulation development and clinical trial manufacturing.