India Pharma Outlook Team | Friday, 23 October 2026
Indian CDMO players including Sai Life Sciences, OneSource Specialty Pharma and peers are scaling manufacturing capacity and advanced technologies for complex products such as peptides, antibody-drug conjugates and sterile injectables.
This move targets higher-value global outsourcing as India eyes 8–10% of worldwide CDMO work share by 2033.
Sai Life Sciences plans to triple its capacity to more than 2,000 cubic meters while prioritizing peptides, ADCs and oligonucleotides.
OneSource Specialty Pharma is directing around USD 100 million toward drug device combinations and complex injectables, including support for GLP-1 therapies.
Indian contract development and manufacturing organizations are shifting investment toward higher-complexity modalities. Sai Life Sciences aims to expand from roughly 700 cubic meters to more than 2,000 cubic meters over the next five years.
The company is adding about 500 cubic meters of capacity in the next 12 months and developing a new site capable of scaling to around 1,300 cubic meters. The expansion prioritizes peptides, antibody-drug conjugates and oligonucleotides rather than pure volume.
Krishna Kanumuri, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sai Life Sciences, said: “We are adding about 500 cubic meters of capacity in the next 12 months and building a new site that can scale up to around 1,300 cubic meters.” He added that the expansion will focus not only on volume but also on higher-complexity technologies, namely peptides, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and oligonucleotides.
OneSource Specialty Pharma has committed more than USD 75 million from a previously announced USD 100 million capital expenditure program. The funds target drug-device combinations, sterile manufacturing and related capabilities that support complex injectables, including GLP-1 therapies.
Neeraj Sharma, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of OneSource Specialty Pharma, said: “These investments are primarily directed towards expanding our drug-device combination capabilities and enhancing our sterile fill-finish infrastructure.”
The company is also strengthening its multi-modality platform across biologics, sterile injectables, drug-device combinations and softgels. These moves mark a clear transition from volume-driven generic work toward specialized chemistry, advanced formulations, and high-potency manufacturing.
Global pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing more complex chemistry and advanced formulations. Indian CDMOs are responding by moving up the value chain, seeking better margins and clearer differentiation.
A McKinsey & Company analysis indicates that India could account for 8–10% of work outsourced to CDMOs globally by 2033, driven by the shift of projects from the EU and US toward Asia.
Industry observers note that biopharma firms increasingly recognize the combination of value and innovation that Indian CDMOs offer. At the same time, the opportunity requires readiness in infrastructure and specialized services so that companies can handle the rise in requests for proposals, particularly from US customers.
Kanumuri noted that technology capability will be critical for long-term competitiveness: “Our focus is on building scientific capabilities that will remain relevant five to ten years from now, rather than only expanding manufacturing infrastructure.”
Sai Life Sciences will bring the near-term 500 cubic meters of capacity online within 12 months while advancing its longer-term multi-year scale-up. OneSource has already allocated most of its USD 100 million program and is phasing expansions according to customer demand for drug-device and sterile fill-finish capabilities.
Broader industry players are preparing technology platforms to meet expected growth in complex-product RFPs. Confirmed capacity additions and technology investments are already under way; the 8–10% global share figure remains a longer-term projection dependent on sustained execution and geopolitical trends.
With capacity and specialized technology investments underway, Indian CDMOs are positioning to convert rising complex product demand into higher-value global contracts and a larger share of the expanding CDMO market.
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