Author: Vivian Xie 17th July 2026

As India's pharmaceutical sector transitions from volume-centric generic manufacturing to introducing complex biologics, specialty formulations and digitally integration, industry leaders must be prepared to address the challenges that will arise in this new-look supply chain. Whether these issues relate to ingredients upstream or in manufacturing processes further downstream, finding platforms to share knowledge and seek solutions will put forward-thinking organisations at a serious advantage.

The events landscape in India has evolved considerably over the past decade, particularly when it comes to shows geared towards the pharma industry. As a marquee brand serving the global pharma industry for over 35 years, CPHI reflects the sector’s changing needs and offers professionals the chance to get to grips with the future of the pharma before anyone else.

Between 25 and 27 November 2026, the heart of pharma comes to Delhi, as CPHI & PMEC India opens its doors on a newly expanded dual-format edition. Divided between Delhi’s India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) and the IEML in Greater Noida, this year’s show offers equal weight to ingredients and manufacturing by giving each specialism their own dedicated venue. This lets attendees divide and conquer, splitting their teams across the show to maximise their time and truly make the most of what’s on offer.

Addressing Formulation and Ingredient Challenges

With an emphasis on APIs, excipients, formulation development and contract manufacturing partnerships, the IICC will be the home of pharmaceutical ingredients at this year’s show. The Indian ingredients sector has seen significant transformation in the wake of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. This committed approximately USD 1.8 billion to incentivise domestic API manufacturing, reducing India's dependency on imported APIs from 68% in 2020 to approximately 52% in 2025 [1].

Biosimilars and biologics development represents a particularly high-growth segment within India's pharmaceutical landscape, with biologics expanding at approximately 18% in each year of the decade so far [2]. Biologics manufacturing requires a number of technical requirements which are best served by specialised suppliers in anything from cell culture media and chromatography resin to filtration system or cold-chain logistics. And as precision drug delivery systems become more widespread, from nanoparticle-based platforms to complex injectables, production lines face a new era of manufacturing complexity that requires controlled environments, stringent quality control and seamless collaboration along the supply [3].

CPHI & PMEC India consolidates this fragmented supplier ecosystem to let pharmaceutical professionals conduct comparative evaluations, negotiate commercial terms and establish strategic partnerships that support long-term biologics development programmes. The event provides a dedicated forum for pharma in India and beyond to engage with ingredient suppliers, CDMOs and technology providers who specialise in these advanced formulations. The exhibition format lets pharmaceutical machinery suppliers and ingredient producers demonstrate their capabilities, share technical documentation and initiate qualification processes that would otherwise require multiple site visits and protracted vendor evaluation cycles.

Solving Manufacturing, Packaging and Equipment Needs

Whilst the section of the show hosted at the IECC will address ingredient and formulation challenges, IEML will become the dedicated platform for pharmaceutical equipment exhibition, packaging technology and manufacturing systems integration. The pharmaceutical machinery suppliers ecosystem encompasses a diverse range of technologies, from primary processing equipment such as reactors, crystallisers and centrifuges to secondary packaging systems, serialisation platforms and cleanroom technology. Meanwhile, packaging represents an especially critical dimension of pharma manufacturing, with India's pharmaceutical packaging market projected to reach USD 8.18 billion by 2031, driven by production-linked incentive outlays, good manufacturing practice (GMP) upgrades for export-oriented facilities and sustainability mandates [4]. The expansion of India's vaccine and biologics fill-finish capacity has driven demand for specialised containment; biologics developers increasingly favour tamper-evident seals and unit-level serialisation for supply chain visibility [5].

CPHI & PMEC India offers direct access to packaging equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and systems integrators who can demonstrate compliance with evolving regulatory requirements. Exploring the portion of the show taking place at IEML will give you hands-on experience of equipment, letting you assess automation capabilities and get answers to any technical questions you might have directly from the people behind the tech.

Ingredient Sourcing and Manufacturing Technology: Two Sides of the Same Coin

More and more, the pharmaceutical development process requires a holistic approach, which gives pharma businesses an imperative to optimise their functions simultaneously. For example, the excipients used for a modified-release tablet formulation will have a direct impact on the physical manufacture of the tablet itself. Similarly, the choice of fill-finish equipment for biologics products will inform decisions around purification and formulation development further upstream in the supply chain. And with India's pharmaceutical sector facing ongoing challenges related to importing raw materials, particularly for APIs and key starting materials sourced from China, there is a newfound imperative to find alternative suppliers who may be more local or dependable.

The dual-event format of CPHI & PMEC India gives you the opportunity to use your full team’s expertise to your advantage; experts in ingredients and production can make the most of what’s on offer at the CPHI wing of the show at IICC, while packaging and manufacturing specialists can explore new equipment, then regrouping to decide on next steps for the rest of the event. This integrated approach is especially relevant in the current geopolitical environment, where trade tensions, pandemic-related disruptions and regulatory actions have repeatedly exposed vulnerabilities in single-source supply chains.

Regulatory, Quality, and Compliance Considerations

Regulatory compliance remains a paramount consideration for pharmaceutical manufacturers operating in India's increasingly scrutinised market environment. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have intensified inspection activities at Indian manufacturing facilities, with the cost of maintaining regulatory compliance representing a significant operational burden for export-oriented manufacturers [6]. Pharmaceutical applications of cleanroom technology present particular challenges, with different product categories requiring specific environmental controls [7]. Packaging material suppliers must maintain cleanroom environments throughout production to ensure that packaging components avoid microbial or particulate contamination.

The adoption of serialisation and track-and-trace technologies represents another regulatory imperative driving equipment investment decision, and the Indian pharma market is no exception. However, these measures mandate unique identification codes on individual pharmaceutical packages to combat counterfeit drugs and enable supply chain visibility. CPHI & PMEC India provides access to experts in all of these technological specialities, including serialisation equipment suppliers, software providers and systems integrators. These are the individuals who can demonstrate compliance while addressing the operational challenges of integrating serialisation without compromising output or introducing quality risks.

The pharmaceutical sector's transition from volume-centric generic to value-driven speciality production requires transparency and visibility across all areas of the supply chain, with every decision impacting wider production measures. With its dual-event format, CPHI & PMEC India provides the ideal platform for pharma experts to evaluate suppliers, assess new sourcing opportunities and make procurement decisions with as much background information as they can get. This is a show that addresses the full spectrum of technical, regulatory and commercial considerations that define the landscape of modern pharma manufacturing. Don’t miss your chance to take advantage of what it has to offer.