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Many pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad utilize equipment from Germany, excipients from Japan, and APIs to supply markets across four continents, and vice versa, with global pharmaceutical companies also sourcing formulations and finished products from India. The pharmaceutical industry has always been global by necessity. Drug development requires specialised suppliers. While manufacturing demands technical partnerships and market access needs distribution networks that span borders.
Annual gatherings such as CPHI Worldwide have become essential meeting points for this interconnected industry. CPHI India 2025, scheduled for 25–27 November at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, brings together over 50,000 visitors, 2,000+ exhibitors, and representation from 120+ countries. For those involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing, sourcing, or development, this pharmaceutical exhibition in India represents three days of concentrated opportunity.
While the scale is impressive, the timing is even more significant. India's pharmaceutical sector is undergoing a fundamental shift in how global buyers perceive and engage with it.
India produces 20% of the world's pharmaceutical volume by quantity. The country supplies 40% of the generic demand in the United States and 25% in the UK. Around 60% of global vaccine requirements come from Indian manufacturers, according to industry data from CPHI India.
For decades, India has built its reputation on cost-effective generics production. But the last five years have shown a different trajectory. Indian manufacturers now handle biologics development, complex injectable formulations, and advanced drug delivery systems. Contract development and manufacturing organizations based here attract partnerships with multinational corporations based on technical capability, regulatory compliance, and manufacturing scale.
This evolution came from sustained investment. Indian facilities routinely pass inspections by the USFDA, EMA, and other regulatory bodies. Many have implemented continuous manufacturing techniques, real-time release testing, and quality management systems comparable to facilities anywhere globally. The country's pharmaceutical exports exceeded $27 billion in 2024, according to the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India.
CPHI India has developed in tandem with this transformation. The event now functions as a demonstration ground where Indian manufacturers showcase technical advancement and global buyers reassess their sourcing strategies. For companies trying to balance cost efficiency with quality assurance, Indian manufacturers have become strategic partners rather than just suppliers. We have previously examined this dynamic in detail in our article, Bridging the Gap: How Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Enhance Healthcare Affordability.
Most pharmaceutical exhibitions focus on specific segments. CPHI India covers APIs, excipients, finished dosage, cleanroom technology, machinery, and packaging under one roof.
An API manufacturer can meet with excipient suppliers in the morning. A formulation scientist can evaluate coating equipment before lunch. A quality head can compare analytical testing services in the afternoon. This integrated format creates connections that isolated events cannot replicate.
CPHI India 2025 also facilitates pre-scheduled meetings, country pavilions, and innovation showcases. According to CPHI India's published data, over 60% of attendees hold decision-making authority in procurement, R&D, or manufacturing operations.
The event also serves smaller pharmaceutical companies and emerging CDMOs looking to establish their presence. For example, a mid-sized contract manufacturer from Vadodara can now engage with procurement decision-makers across three continents within the span of a single day. A specialty excipient supplier can demonstrate their products to formulation scientists from multiple companies in structured meetings.
Several developments will shape conversations and business decisions at CPHI India 2025.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing has traditionally been conservative in adopting new technology. That hesitation, however, has begun to fade. AI-driven process analytics now predict equipment failures days before they occur. Digital twins simulate production scenarios before actual batches run. Real-time monitoring systems track critical parameters across every stage of manufacturing.
The growing complexity of global supply chains, rising quality expectations, and increasing regulatory scrutiny have pushed manufacturers to modernise their operations. Over the past few years, especially following pandemic-era disruptions, companies have recognised that digital transformation is no longer optional. By embedding intelligence into every layer of research, development, and manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturers can reimagine drug delivery systems.
Indian CDMOs are investing in these technologies to compete on efficiency and consistency. The return shows reduced batch failures, faster scale-up timelines, and better documentation for regulatory submissions. CPHI India will feature live demonstrations of these systems, giving attendees a chance to see how automation translates to actual manufacturing environments.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing consumes significant water, energy, and raw materials. Reducing this footprint requires innovation at every production stage: greener synthesis routes for APIs, solvent recovery systems, recyclable packaging materials, and energy-efficient HVAC systems in cleanrooms.
These changes are driven by both regulation and commercial pressure as European buyers increasingly evaluate suppliers based on environmental metrics. Sustainability data now appears in procurement tenders alongside pricing and quality specifications. Indian manufacturers responding to this demand are finding that it opens doors with buyers who previously worked only with European or US-based suppliers.
Global pharmaceutical companies continue to outsource more of their operations. But the scope has expanded beyond basic manufacturing. Companies now seek partners capable of handling formulation development, analytical method validation, regulatory filing support, and packaging.
India's contract manufacturing sector is growing at over 12% annually through 2030, according to reports from the India Brand Equity Foundation. CDMOs that can manage complex projects end-to-end are securing multi-year partnerships. CPHI India 2025 provides a venue for these manufacturers to present their full capabilities to companies evaluating their supply chain strategies.
The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities when pharmaceutical supply chains relied too heavily on single sources or regions. Companies are now actively building redundancy into their supplier networks. India has benefited from this shift, but so have manufacturers in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
Diversification means having backup suppliers for critical APIs, alternative manufacturing sites for key products, and logistics partners who can handle temperature-controlled shipments across multiple routes. Conversations at CPHI India 2025 will reflect these priorities: buyers seeking second or third sources, manufacturers emphasising rapid scale-up capacity, and logistics providers demonstrating cold chain capabilities.
India's regulatory framework continues to converge with international norms. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has aligned guidelines with ICH standards. More Indian facilities are achieving WHO prequalification and maintaining compliance with multiple regulatory bodies simultaneously.
With more than 2,000 exhibitors, systematic planning will help with efficient navigation and meaningful engagement. For instance:
Procurement teams can use the online platform to identify and schedule meetings with potential suppliers before the event. They can come prepared with technical specifications, volume requirements, and regulatory expectations. Ask about manufacturing capacity, lead times, and their track record with similar products.
R & D teams can focus on the innovation zones and technical sessions, look for novel excipients that could improve bioavailability in their formulations, and evaluate new packaging technologies that improve product stability.
Quality and regulatory professionals can use CPHI India to benchmark practices. How are other manufacturers handling data integrity requirements? What automation tools help manage deviation investigations? Which contract testing labs offer the fastest turnaround for method validation?
CPHI India provides direct access to technical experts and decision-makers across global supply chains for pharmaceutical manufacturers exploring collaborative opportunities in contract development and manufacturing. If your company is evaluating manufacturing partners or looking to understand how Indian pharmaceutical capabilities align with your production requirements, the three days at CPHI India offer a concentrated opportunity worth considering.
ZIM Laboratories Limited is a therapy-agnostic and innovative drug delivery solution provider focusing on enhancing patient convenience and treatment adherence to drug intake. We offer a range of technology-based drug delivery solutions and non-infringing proprietary manufacturing processes to develop, manufacture, and supply innovative and differentiated generic pharmaceutical products to our customers globally. At ZIM Labs, we provide our customers with a comprehensive range of oral solid value-added, differentiated generic products in semi-finished and finished formulations. These include granules, pellets (sustained, modified, and extended-release), taste-masked powders, suspensions, tablets, capsules, and Oral Thin Films (OTF).
