India Pharma Outlook Team | Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Indian pharma companies such as Sun Pharma and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals are increasingly adopting AI in drug discovery to cut research timelines and reduce development costs.
The shift comes as the industry seeks to move beyond generics and compete globally in innovative medicine development.
Traditional drug development is slow and costly, often taking years before a treatment reaches patients. Experts believe AI can transform this process by analyzing large datasets, predicting molecule behavior, and improving clinical trial planning. These tools reduce repetitive work and allow researchers to make faster, data-driven decisions.
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Sun Pharma’s executive chairman Dilip Shanghvi said the company is exploring external AI partnerships to strengthen in-house research capabilities. He noted that timelines for late-stage development and regulatory filings, which currently stretch close to 18 months, could be significantly shortened with AI integration.
Glenmark’s chairman Glenn Saldanha added that AI’s early impact will likely be strongest in small-molecule drug discovery, supporting tasks from molecular modeling to clinical trials, while biologics may benefit over a longer period.
The focus on AI in drug discovery reflects a broader transformation in Indian pharma. While the country has long been a leader in generics, AI offers a pathway to faster, more efficient development of innovative medicines. Global investment in AI-driven drug research reached nearly $7 billion last year and is expected to more than double by 2034, underscoring industry confidence in this technological shift.
