BIOZEEN is focused on strategic growth through partnerships, diversification, and sustainable innovation

Dr Vibin B Joseph, ED and CEO, BioZEEN shares details about his company's solutions for biopharma manufacturing and talks about changing customer needs, global collaborations, and their future plans for growth, in an interaction with Lakshmipriya Nair

- Lakshmipriya Nair

The Indian biopharma sector is projected for significant growth. What are the market segments driving growth in the biopharma sector currently? Are you seeing greater traction in vaccine manufacturing, mAbs, or cell and gene therapies?

Multiple converging factors are driving growth in the Indian biopharma sector. A surge in healthcare spending (macro and micro economically), increasing global demand for accessible biologics and India's emerging role as a cost-effective innovation hub are driving growth across the bio-pharma sector.

Vaccines continue to be the primary growth driver in the Indian biopharma sector, with sustained global demand and India's established position with the country supplying over 60 per cent of global vaccine needs. This is followed closely by the expansion of biosimilars and other biologic drugs, where Indian companies are increasingly serving both domestic and international markets. Additionally, there is a growing wave of investment in cell and gene therapies—currently at the R&D stage—which is expected to evolve into a significant growth segment in the coming years as regulatory frameworks mature and clinical successes emerge.

What are the biggest hurdles the industry must navigate to fully realise its full potential?

The industry faces several critical challenges, including increasingly stringent and evolving regulatory requirements, the need to localise sourcing in response to global supply chain disruptions, persistent talent shortages, and high attrition rates. Additionally, there is constant pressure to optimise costs and pricing. However, the most significant hurdle remains the extended timeline from R&D to regulatory approval and commercial production. Navigating the complex and multi-phase development process continues to be a major barrier to accelerating innovation and market access.