Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, two rapidly developing states in southern India, have emerged as dynamic centres for life sciences, encompassing the critical sectors of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. These states have become key players in India’s evolving biopharma ecosystem, making significant strides in both domestic innovation and global competitiveness. With a robust industrial infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, and government policies aimed at fostering growth, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are positioning themselves at the forefront of global healthcare innovation, said Chakravarthi AVPS, chairman FOPE Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, in an email interaction with Nandita Vijayasimha. Excerpts:
How do you view the current life sciences scene in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as the chief of Federation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (FOPE)
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have become dynamic centres for life sciences, including pharma, biotech, and medical devices. Telangana, with over 2,000 life sciences companies and a strong ecosystem valued above $80 billion, benefits from Genome Valley and the largest medical devices park globally. Andhra Pradesh is growing well with focused industrial parks and SEZs supporting biosimilars and bulk drug production. Both states provide excellent infrastructure and skilled talent pools, gaining global attention for innovation and manufacturing.
What according to you are the growth drivers and future outlook of these two dynamic states?
Growth is driven by pro-industry policies, robust incentives, skilled workforce availability, and proximity to raw material suppliers. Telangana’s upcoming life sciences policy and Andhra Pradesh’s dedicated investment zones are key accelerators. With investments running into tens of thousands of crores and trends like digital health and gene therapies emerging, the life sciences sectors in these states are expected to reach new heights in the next 5-10 years, possibly expanding Telangana’s ecosystem to $250 billion.
There are extensive pacts for industry-academia collaboration. Such strong collaboration exists between academia and industry through partnerships, such as Telangana’s tie-up with RMIT University, one of Australia’s leading global institutions.
The university in October 2025 launched a joint initiative with BITS Hyderabad known as the BITS-RMIT Higher Education Academy aimed at promoting advanced research, academic exchange, and innovation-driven education between Australia and India. Through this, research scholars from Telangana gain the opportunity to pursue joint PhD programmes, spending part of their academic journey at BITS Hyderabad and RMIT Melbourne.
The collaboration also enables student and faculty exchanges, promote joint research projects, and create an industry-aligned curriculum aimed at strengthening India’s R&D ecosystem. Research centres and biotech incubators across both states foster technology transfer and innovation. Skill development programs also ensure a steady supply of trained professionals, bridging the gap between research and commercialization smoothly.
Could you give us a peek into the start-up ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana?
The current pharmaceutical industry landscape is indeed experiencing a wave of entrepreneurial innovation, largely driven by the evolving start-up ecosystem and numerous success stories. This trend is shaping the future of the industry in several significant ways.
Both states nurture vibrant start-up ecosystems supporting biotech innovation. Notable start-ups like Promecens Entosystems in Telangana have made strides in immunotherapeutics and stem cell research, supported by government events like BioAsia and various incubators. These initiatives help convert advanced research into commercial biotech ventures, positioning the region as a biotech innovation hotspot.
While start-ups thrive on innovation, they often lack the resources, distribution channels, and global reach that established pharma companies possess. As a result, we are seeing an increasing number of partnerships and acquisitions between start-ups and larger pharmaceutical companies. These collaborations allow start-ups to scale their innovations while gaining the expertise and financial support of big pharma giants.
What are the noteworthy pharma achievements and the could you detail on the success of the Global Capability Centres (GCCs) presence?
Telangana leads with 250+ USFDA-approved sites, hosting top global pharma companies. Andhra Pradesh is picking up with bulk drug and biosimilar projects. Hyderabad’s pharma GCC boom is attributed to its mature ecosystem, talented workforce, government backing, and cost efficiency. Andhra Pradesh’s pharma GCC presence is still developing, expected to grow with focused innovation and policy support.
What according to you are the achievements of Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone?
The AP MedTech Zone (AMTZ), located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, has emerged as a pivotal hub in India’s medical technology landscape.
As India’s leading medical technology park, AMTZ has played a significant role in transforming the domestic medical devices industry by fostering innovation, encouraging local manufacturing, and improving healthcare access. The park has become particularly crucial in addressing urgent healthcare challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, the AP MedTech Zone (AMTZ) has excelled in providing critical medical devices during the pandemic, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators, as India’s leading medical technology park. Innovations like mobile container hospitals exemplify AMTZ’s role in strengthening domestic healthcare tech manufacturing.
Beyond its critical response to the pandemic, AMTZ has been a trailblazer in creating sustainable and innovative solutions for the healthcare sector. It is continuously pushing the boundaries of medical device manufacturing, not just for emergency situations, but for long-term healthcare infrastructure needs.
Therefore, AMTZ’s contribution to India’s self-reliance in healthcare tech manufacturing cannot be overstated. Prior to the establishment of AMTZ, India was heavily reliant on imports for many medical devices, including surgical instruments, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic devices. AMTZ has been instrumental in changing this landscape by providing the infrastructure and resources needed to manufacture medical devices locally.
In your opinion how has the packaging materials and technologies caught up in these two states?
The states are also the location of next-gen packaging materials and technologies. The life sciences packaging sector is moving towards sustainable materials like biodegradable bioplastics, nano-coatings for shelf-life extension, and customized 3D printed packaging. AI-driven design, digital printing, and smart anti-counterfeit packaging solutions will reshape safety and sustainability in pharma packaging.
The need for tamper-evident, child-resistant, environmentally safe, and compliant packaging is driving innovations in the sector. For example, the Drug and Cosmetics Act, along with USFDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines, play a significant role in shaping packaging standards for pharmaceuticals and biologics.
With the increasing complexity of medicines, especially biologics and biosimilars, the packaging sector is evolving to meet strict regulatory requirements for product safety, traceability, and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Distribution Practices (GDP), and GDP standards for pharmaceutical packaging.
What are the visible trends and future of life sciences in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana?
Key trends include growth in digital health, personalized medicine, cell and gene therapies, and AI integration in R&D and manufacturing. Both states are set to grow as global pharma, biotech, and med-tech hubs, driven by international collaborations, start-up innovation, and GCC expansions, with a focus on sustainable and high-tech manufacturing supported by a strong talent pipeline.
The pharmaceutical industry in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is poised for robust growth in the coming years, driven by a combination of technological advancements, strategic government initiatives, and increasing global demand for innovative healthcare solutions. Both states are already home to a significant portion of India’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology landscape, but the future holds even more potential, especially in areas like biotech innovation, high-tech manufacturing, AI-driven drug development, and international partnerships. |