Logistics prescription for India's fragile *pharma lifeline

From therapy shifts to last-mile blind spots the supply chains that carry Indian medicines are under more pressure than ever before.

- Libin Chacko Kurian

India's pharmaceutical supply chain runs deep into every corner of the country and stretches far beyond its borders, feeding both the domestic market and regulated markets overseas. It is a system that thrives on scale yet struggles with visibility, where lifesaving therapies must move through fragile networks of distributors, warehouses, and retailers. Behind the scenes, supply chain leaders are constantly balancing the unpredictable demand of acute care with the steady demand of chronic therapies, maintaining a cold chain in a country prone to power outages, and navigating global disruptions that can double shipment times. The story of pharma logistics is one of resilience under pressure, told through those who wrestle with its challenges every day.

Shifting therapies, shifting strategies

India's pharmaceutical supply chain is one of the most complex and challenging networks in the world. Unlike FMCG, where changes and innovations are quickly adopted, pharma remains conservative, constrained by regulations, trade bodies, and the sheer difficulty of implementation across thousands of pin codes.

"This is quite a challenging industry, which adopts changes slowly, gradually, and it's not like the FMCG industry, where the changes are very frequent," says Anand Prasad, Associate Vice President - Supply Chain, JB Chemicals & Pharma. "Here, the changes are governed by certain regulations, certain trade bodies, and implementations across all pin codes are very difficult."

According to Prasad, the Indian domestic market is undergoing a shift in consumption patterns that is directly shaping supply chain strategies. Acute therapies, once the dominant segment with antibiotics and cough syrups driving sales, are giving way to chronic therapies like diabetes and hypertension treatments.