Zeenat Parween, Correspondent, India Pharma Outlook
The argument for greater female participation does not start from zero. Indian pharma already has women leading companies with complex manufacturing and global operations.
These leaders should not be used as proof that women are inherently better at running plants. Instead, their careers demonstrate that women can and do occupy senior positions in businesses built around highly technical pharmaceutical operations.
Dr. Saloni Satish Wagh is the Managing Director of Supriya Lifescience. She holds a PhD in Chemistry and is involved in the company's operations. Supriya has expanded its API manufacturing capabilities at its Lote Parshuram facility in Maharashtra. The company inaugurated a new API production block there in 2024.
In a 2025 earnings call, Wagh discussed capacity expansion, qualification and validation work and preparations related to regulated-market products.
Her career illustrates the type of technical leadership that can exist at the highest levels of pharmaceutical manufacturing. It also challenges the idea that women belong mainly in laboratory or support functions.
API manufacturing involves complex chemical processes, impurity control, yield optimization, hazardous-material handling and extensive documentation. These responsibilities require technical knowledge and strong process discipline, regardless of who performs them.
Nandini Piramal is Chairperson of Piramal Pharma Limited. Piramal describes its operations as spanning a global network of manufacturing facilities and serving customers across more than 100 countries.
CDMO operations are particularly demanding because manufacturers may manage different customers, products, technologies and regulatory requirements.
Technology transfers have to be controlled. Processes must remain consistent. Cleaning and cross-contamination controls must work. Documentation has to remain accurate across sites.
These are the types of challenges that define modern pharmaceutical manufacturing.
For women in core plant operations, CDMO facilities also represent an important career path. Production and technical professionals can build experience across different products, technologies and markets while developing a deeper understanding of regulated manufacturing.
Suchitra Ella co-founded Bharat Biotech and serves as its Managing Director. Bharat Biotech has developed and manufactured vaccines at its facilities in Hyderabad, including COVAXIN, which was produced using a BSL-3 containment facility.
This is important because vaccine manufacturing demonstrates how far pharmaceutical production extends beyond conventional tablet manufacturing.
It involves biological materials, containment, aseptic processes, quality systems and large-scale production.
It would be inaccurate to claim that Ella personally designed a BSL-3 production line without supporting evidence. Her significance to this discussion is that she has helped lead a company operating complex vaccine development and manufacturing infrastructure.
Vinita Gupta is CEO of Lupin Limited. Lupin has been expanding the use of digital technologies across areas, including manufacturing and quality. The company has also discussed highly automated production lines for certain products and device assembly.
This shift toward automation changes the nature of factory work. Modern production increasingly requires people who can operate, monitor and troubleshoot automated systems. That reduces the relevance of the old assumption that plant work is mainly about physical strength.
For India’s pharma manufacturing sector, automation can therefore support both productivity and a broader talent pool.
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