Leadership evolution in India's pharma sector in 2025

As the sector adapts to technological advancements, regulatory requirements, and increasing competition, several leadership role trends are emerging to drive global growth and innovation, highlights Tarunesh Madan, Co-Managing Partner, Amrop India

- Tarunesh Madan

The Indian pharma industry is evolving rapidly, leading to the emergence of new leadership roles that address the sector's dynamic global challenges and opportunities. As the sector adapts to technological advancements, regulatory requirements, and increasing competition, several leadership role trends are emerging. These roles are designed to strengthen the companies' operational efficiency, expand their market presence, and foster innovation. The US market also continues to present a significant growth opportunity, driving many companies to evolve their leadership roles to stay competitive and compliant with stringent regulations. As Indian pharma companies continue to expand their footprint in the US and other international markets, leadership role trends are emerging that focus on regulatory expertise, market access, R&D innovations, and operational excellence.

Integrated roles of manufacturing, supply chain and technical operations

Given the large scale of operations and growth aspirations, leading companies have brought together manufacturing, supply chain, procurement and technical operations under an integrated role. This allows to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and meet both regulatory and market demands. These roles are increasingly interconnected to ensure smooth production processes, cost efficiency, product quality, and timely delivery to global markets. While manufacturing and supply chain have often been integrated, the coming years will also see the trend of technical operations getting integrated. This role focuses on process development, technology transfer, and ensuring that manufacturing processes are efficient and compliant with global standards. Integration with both manufacturing and supply chain unlocks efficiency in production and manage scale-up activities. Key benefits through this role are regulatory compliance, faster time to market, quality control and enhanced flexibility.