Can India break its dependence on China for pharma APIs?

India’s push to reduce its dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) took centre stage at the ninth edition of the Global Pharma Logistics Summit (GPLS) 2026, where experts debated whether domestic manufacturing can become globally competitive without compromising costs or supply reliability.

Discussions explored the impact of government incentives, production-linked incentive schemes and dedicated pharmaceutical parks, alongside persistent challenges such as high manufacturing costs, limited economies of scale and dependence on Chinese key starting materials.

Speakers emphasised that import substitution alone would not be enough; India must build a resilient, diversified supply chain capable of withstanding global disruptions. The conversation also highlighted the need for shared infrastructure, common utilities, technological upgrades and stronger collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and logistics service providers.

Cold-chain capabilities for temperature-sensitive medicines, biologics and advanced therapies emerged as another critical concern, whereas digitalisation, predictive analytics, real-time tracking and control towers were identified as tools to improve visibility and anticipate disruptions, although adoption remains limited.

The broader message was clear: government support can provide the initial push, but long-term competitiveness will depend on operational efficiency, regulatory reliability, sustained investment and closer industry collaboration.

The panel featured:

Pramod Patvardhan, Consultant, Pharma & Healthcare Industry

Sheshagiri Koppal, Deputy General Manager (DGM), Director Procurement, Olon India

Arloph John Vieira, Head of Supply Chain Management, Milan Laboratories

Moderator: Ryan Viegas, Consultant, Pharma & Healthcare Industry

Watch the full discussion to understand why India continues to depend on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and what challenges domestic manufacturers face in building cost-competitive production capabilities.