DILIP SHANGHVI - Founder & Executive Chairman, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries

Dilip Shanghvi, Founder and Executive Chairman of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, is one of the most influential architects of India's pharmaceutical success story.

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A Visionary Trailblazer in Indian Pharma

From starting Sun Pharma in 1983 with a single product and a small borrowed capital to building India's largest pharmaceutical company with a global presence, his journey reflects visionary leadership, strategic foresight, and an unwavering commitment to affordable healthcare. A pioneer who transformed niche therapies into global opportunities, Dilip Shanghvi's legacy continues to inspire India's rise as a global healthcare powerhouse. Dilip Shanghvi founded Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma) in 1983. Over the past 40 years, the Mumbai-headquartered company has grown into a global pharmaceuticals enterprise and the No 1 pharma company in India, with presence in more than 100 countries.

The evolution of the company is a remarkable story in itself. While assisting his father in his wholesale medicine business, Dilip Shanghvi observed that most medicines in India were imported, and affordable options were limited. Driven by a vision to create a meaningful impact on people's lives, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey and that was the starting point for Sun Pharma.

Back then, Dilip Shanghvi borrowed Rs 10,000 from his father to start Sun Pharma with 2 employees and 1 psychiatry product. His focus was on improving access to psychiatry medicines helping doctors treat patients more effectively. At that time, mental health was viewed as an obscure field and often considered an ailment affecting only the affluent. This deliberate emphasis on a niche therapy gave Sun Pharma a distinctive position in the Indian market.

Driving the Growth Engine

In the first year of operations, the company set up a manufacturing facility for tablets and capsules at Vapi, Gujarat. In 1988, the company launched Monotrate and Angizem, its first cardiology products.