Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy launched the state’s Next-Gen Life Sciences Policy 2026-2030 at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos.
The policy builds on Telangana’s existing scale-based manufacturing point to become a value-led hub for advanced research and development, and innovation in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
The policy targets $ 25 billion in investments and aims to generate 5,00,000 high-quality jobs. The initiative also announced a Telangana School of Life Sciences, a university focused on research, education, and future-ready talent development. It is to offer certification programmes across domains such as biologics, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and bioinformatics.
A medtech cluster with enhanced common infrastructure and plug-and-play facilities to support R&D and manufacturing in medical devices and diagnostics is also outlined in the policy.
Vaccine capital of the world
Home to over 2,000 life sciences companies with a combined valuation of $80 billion, the state contributes to 40 per cent of India’s pharmaceutical production, as per the government.
The vaccine manufacturing facility by Bharat Biotech in Genome Valley north of Hyderabad, shot to fame for producing the COVID-19 vaccine COVAXIN five years ago. The state accounts for one-third of global vaccine output, earning it the reputation of being the Vaccine Capital of the World.
Weight loss drug companies Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy tie up with Indian multinational pharma brands Cipla and Emcure Pharmaceuticals to cater to a potentially $150 billion demand in the Indian market. Both Indian companies have a significant presence as distributors in Hyderabad.
Other companies, such as Bristol Myers Briggs, Amgen, as well as national companies such as Hetero, Dr Reddy’s Labs, Biological E, and Natco, have established or expanded R&D, digital, and global capability centres in north Hyderabad.
With a strong manufacturing, R&D and innovation hub in place, a new bioscience cluster called ‘Green Pharma City’ is nearing construction in south of Hyderabad. It will focus on advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, engineering, digital health, and high-end R&D functions in the life sciences and healthcare domains. This satellite city is designed as a sustainable and integrated industrial cluster incorporating zero liquid discharge, centralized waste management, energy-efficient systems, and net-zero practices, according to the state government.
This Bioscience/Lifescience ecosystem helps expand in frontier science and advanced manufacturing of biologics and biosimilars, cell and gene therapy, and mRNA platforms, among others.
“The policy strengthens the broader ecosystem across clinical research, pharma services, diagnostics, medical electronics and digital health, positioning Telangana as a preferred destination for global life sciences hubs,” Mr. D. Sridhar Babu, Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications, and Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)