India Can Evolve From ‘Global Pharmacy’ to ‘Global Innovator’, Says Dr Rahul Gupta on India–Russia Pharma Ties

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: Former Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Dr Rahul Gupta, on Thursday highlighted the growing potential of India–Russia cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector, while underscoring the moment of opportunity India faces in transforming its global role in drug development.

Speaking on the sidelines of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit, Dr Gupta said India’s robust production capacity for generic medicines remains a major asset in bilateral trade, particularly as Russia continues to rely on affordable and high-quality generics. “India definitely is able to produce a lot of generic drugs, which Russia would consume,” he noted.

However, he stressed that India must look beyond its established identity as the “global pharmacy” and invest strategically in frontier technologies. “We are at a very important inflexion point, which is the importance of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and drug discovery,” Dr Gupta said.

He emphasised that India has a unique opportunity to expand into cutting-edge research, including biologics, gene therapies and next-generation treatments. “India also has the opportunity to figure out how to have smart research and development opportunities and invest in new biologics, new gene therapies, and new treatments for not only Indians across the country but also for the world.”

If done right, Gupta argued, India can evolve from being primarily a producer of generics into a global leader in drug innovation. “It can transform itself from being the global pharmacy of the world to being the global innovator of the world,” he said. But he cautioned that this shift will require “smart investment from both the public sector as well as the private.”