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Lifesciences industry globally and in India remain in a wait-and-watch mode amid uncertainty surrounding the status of reciprocal tariffs, adding an additional layer of complexity to an already cautious market environment, said Aditya Sharma, head of process solutions, India Region, Merck Life Science.
The current situation remains fluid. There is a clear reluctance to act hastily, as companies are wary of making moves that may not align with the evolving landscape, he added.
A major trade deal is expected to be announced on July 9, 2025, as indicated by US President Trump. This development could be significant from the standpoint of India's life sciences sector. The industry hopes for a positive outcome, especially with pharmaceuticals expected to be a key component of the agreement, Sharma told Pharmabiz.
Despite the broader uncertainty, Merck Life Science’s customer engagement across start-ups and the government among others remains steady, be it through our Formulation & Technology Centre in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai or the MLab and manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, business continues as usual, he noted.
We actively engage with customers bringing them to our facilities and asking on how to support them better. In fact, we see interest from both long-standing customers, many of whom are expanding their facilities or targeting new markets, and from new start-ups and emerging companies. Our engagements with both groups remain strong, and we continue to collaborate closely with them, he said.
What attracts global companies to Merck in India is a combination of capability and cost-effectiveness. India offers a highly qualified, world-class talent pool, which is a key strength. Additionally, from a cost perspective, the country enables significant optimization. For companies manufacturing in Europe or the US, India clearly presents a compelling cost advantage, said Sharma.
Also, India is an attractive destination for any multinational, and Merck is well-positioned to benefit from this. The advanced technology across our filtration and validation labs combined with deep expertise, enables us to deliver a high quality of service that is favourably appealing to many global companies, said Sharma.
Many new companies come to us to ascertain on the equipment or technology they need, for setting up their new facilities. Our experts guide on scale-up. In a phase of patent expiries, generic drugs manufacturers are looking to innovate because of price erosion. There is considerable interest in the manufacture of complex biologics and biosimilars because of better margins. But there are process challenges and Merck brings in the much-needed value through collaborations, he said.
To further propel industry-academia partnerships, Merck is engaging with various government organisations, which are setting up incubation centres be it BIRAC JNU, IIT-Delhi, C-CAMP to name a few.
India’s bioprocessing sector is growing steadily, even though our bioreactor capacity still trails behind countries like Korea and China. Nevertheless, India is on the right trajectory, led by strong domestic players with capable leadership and active fundraising efforts to scale operations. The recent Cabinet approval of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme, with a Rs. 1 crore corpus, will further accelerate the sector’s growth. Overall, all the pieces are coming together at an opportune time, setting the stage for strong momentum and greater global relevance for India’s bioprocessing ecosystem, even as the industry adopts a cautious, wait-and-watch stance amid ongoing uncertainty around US reciprocal tariffs, stated Sharma
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