Medicine146;s Working

Increasing scope in RD and better patent laws is bringing back India8217;s pharma brains.

When Rashmi Barbhaiya and Kasim Mookhtiar decided three years ago to give up a comfortable life in the United States 8211; one they had built after 20 years of hard work in the pharmaceutical industry 8211; and come back to India, the surprise element lay in the fact that not many people were surprised. Especially in their professional circles. The Indian pharmaceutical industry, valued at Rs 27,000 crore, has been beckoning drug researchers back home for a while now, both for the quantity and quality the industry is getting to be known for.

8220;What brought us back was the opportunity to do something that would make a difference to India and to ourselves. For it was only here that we felt we could plunge ourselves into what every drug researcher deep down wants to do 8211; innovative research,8221; says Mookhtiar who not only gave up a highly successful and promising career in Bristol-Myers Squibb and Co, but also left behind his mother and daughter who is studying in Pennsylvania.

After two years at Ranbaxy in Gurgaon, the 50-year-old IIT Mumbai graduate joined hands with Barbhaiya and another scientist, Sanjeev Kaul, who too had tread a similar path, to set up Advinus Therapeutics last year. While Barbhaiya heads the Bangalore facility, Mookhtiar is in charge of its 12-million drug discovery centre in Pune. 8220;From being merely a generic player, where it simply found new ways to manufacture a drug discovered in the US, India is emerging as an important research and development centre with lots of original research happening. This is an exciting time to be here for someone interested in this area,8221; says Mookhtiar.

Sentiments echoed by chief scientific officer at Eli Lilly, Dr Vinod Mattoo, an endocrinologist who came back to India two years ago from Indianapolis to work at his company8217;s India centre in Gurgaon. 8220;With the expansion of research and scientific work in India and India8217;s integration into the global protocol, many scientists in the field 8212; I know about a dozen 8212; have come back to their homeland to lend their expertise and global perspective to the Indian industry,8221; says Mattoo, referring to the Government8217;s decision to adhere to the new patent principles as defined by the World Trade Organisation that came into existence on January 2005.

Prior to this, the Indian Patent law of 1970 allowed only process patents not product patents which kept MNCs away.

Other than the opportunity to innovate, what is perhaps also attracting scientists back in droves is that even as biggies like Bayer AG and Merck 038; Co close down research facilities in the US and UK, it8217;s India and China to whom they are outsourcing R038;D work. As Mookhtiar puts it, 8220;Pharma is the next IT in India. Also now people can look forward to a decent quality of life coupled with a chance to fulfil their ambitions. One can feel the excitement and energy in India.8221;

It8217;s also what Kewal Handa, managing director Pfizer calls India8217;s 8220;unique disease patterns8221; that is turning the tide in its favour. 8220;The potential to explore your expertise is unparalleled in India. It8217;s not just third world diseases like gastro or malnutrition malaria that you get to work for but also the so-called Western diseases like diabetes and heart attacks that have grown in the urban pockets,8221; says Mattoo.

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Add to that the projected 10 per cent growth for the Indian pharmaceutical industry over the next three years. And with the pharma SEZs coming up all over, its 50,00,000 people employed in 20,000 firms, you know why the industry ranked as fourth by volume and 13th in value globally, has seen more global transactions in the past year than it experienced in 50 years.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More