Der Aufstieg der indischen Pharmaindustrie: Transformation der globalen Wettbewerbslandschaft?

Abstract

Abstract

The rise of India’s pharmaceutical industry: Transforming the global competitive landscape?

India from the 1970s built a large pharmaceutical industry through an array of measures in support of domestic firms. The absence of product patents enabled Indian companies to become world leading producers of generic versions of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and drugs patented in Western markets. Low costs and a strong engineering tradition continue to sustain competitive strength. The implementation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) TRIPS regime in 2005 is driving change within the industry. Key elements of the present shake-up include the return to India of big pharma companies on a large scale and the emergence of several Indian firms that aim to become fully-fledged research-based multinationals. This article provides a description of the development and structure of the Indian pharmaceutical industry and explores questions and challenges arising from its integration into global markets. It is argued that the predominant trend is for India’s leading drug firms to be integrated as suppliers into the global innovation and production networks controlled by big pharma.