Ajay Bhardwaj

Anthem Biosciences

An entrepreneur who has redesigned biopharma

In the emerging field of biopharmaceutical R&D, Mr. Ajay Bhardwaj’s ambition is to blend scale with science, guiding Anthem Biosciences to becoming a leading innovation-driven, discovery-to-manufacturing Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO).

An alumnus of IIT (Delhi) and Louisiana State University, Mr. Bhardwaj has long been associated with biopharma, with Max India and then Biocon as one of its earliest members. From setting up Anthem Biosciences in 2007 to getting it listed in 2025, he has created a strong name in a field where India is also climbing the supply chain value ladder.

He has expanded Anthem Biosciences into five modalities, RNA interference (RNAi), Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), peptides, lipids and most recently, oligonucleotides. He has also expanded manufacturing capacity for custom synthesis and fermentation, diversifying into specialty ingredients.

With two R&D centers, eight patents and 17 pending, and more than 400 global customers, Mr. Bhardwaj is sharply focused on innovation and future growth trends as pharma companies continue to diversify their supply chains. Anthem clocked a revenue of INR1,845 crore in FY25, and is setting up a greenfield unit to nearly double the company’s current scale. The unit is expected to be operational by March 2028. Sustainable growth is a pillar of Mr. Bhardwaj’s strategy and includes increased use of renewable energy, water management and focus on education, healthcare and tribal community development.

In the fast-paced world of biopharma contract manufacturing, Mr. Ajay Bhardwaj is setting an example for the whole sector to follow.