AI-Powered Platforms for Discovery, R&D and Connected Manufacturing to Drive Indian Biopharma’s Next Growth Phase: EY-Parthenon report at BioAsia 2026

• Platforms for discovery, AI-powered R&D, and connected manufacturing systems will reshape speed, scale, and global edge
• Biologics account for more than half of global prescription revenues and are projected to approach 60% by 2028

Hyderabad, 17 February 2026: EY-Parthenon India, today launched its latest report “Pharma’s New Architecture: Where Novel Science Meets AI and Manufacturing Power,” at BioAsia 2026 offering a comprehensive view of how global and Indian biopharma are being fundamentally re-architected. The report highlights that the industry is moving beyond incremental product development toward platform-led innovation models that integrate discovery science, AI-native R&D, advanced manufacturing and resilient supply chains into unified systems.

Platform thinking replaces one-off development

The report suggests that rising scientific complexity is pushing companies to redesign R&D around platform-based models rather than one-off products. Instead of building each medicine separately, leading players are creating reusable discovery engines that apply shared data, workflows and development pathways across multiple programs.

This approach carries learning forward, reduces duplication and brings greater predictability to execution. Progress depends less on isolated breakthroughs and more on integrated systems that consistently move assets from early research to clinical testing with speed and discipline.

Suresh Subramanian, National Lifesciences Leader, EY-Parthenon India said, “Indian Biopharma is undergoing a structural reset. Scientific breakthroughs alone are no longer enough. The winners will be those who integrate discovery, AI-native intelligence and manufacturing into disciplined, repeatable platforms. The shift from one-off products to reusable engines – from mRNA and CRISPR to AI-driven design stacks – is redefining speed, reliability and scale. It is about building systems that compound learning and consistently deliver therapies to patients. This will help India pivot to large molecules and new modalities where the larger opportunities moving forward will emerge.”

Adding to it, Daniel Mathews, EY Global Life Sciences Leader said, “India stands at a decisive inflection point. The country has the digital depth, biologics capability and integrated CRDMO infrastructure to move beyond being the pharmacy of the world. If these strengths are connected into platform-led models, India can emerge not just as a supplier, but as a global innovation and execution hub for next-generation therapies. The opportunity is to lead in how modern biopharma is built — not just in how it is manufactured.”

Shakthi Nagappan, CEO, Telangana Lifesciences said, “The life sciences sector is being reshaped by a deeper integration of biology and digital technologies. As research becomes more data-intensive, AI and advanced analytics are helping bridge the gap between discovery and real-world application — accelerating insight while maintaining scientific rigor. This shift extends beyond R&D into clinical development and manufacturing, creating more coordinated and resilient systems. Telangana’s continued focus on innovation-led growth reflects this direction, and we are proud that EY Parthenon has been a longstanding partner to BioAsia in convening and shaping these conversations as the ecosystem evolves.”

The modality shift: value concentration in complex therapies

The report highlights that biologics now account for more than half of global prescription revenues and are projected to approach 60% by 2028. Advanced modalities – including ADCs, bispecifics, RNA therapies and cell and gene therapies – are reshaping value concentration despite scientific and regulatory complexity.

India, long known as the “pharmacy of the world,” is increasingly participating in this shift. With over 100 approved biosimilars, growing proprietary biologics programs, CRISPR innovation emerging from institutions such as CSIR-IGIB, and multimodality CRDMOs expanding into ADCs, peptides and oligonucleotides, the country is transitioning from volume-led generics to platform-enabled innovation.

AI-Native R&D: reshaping speed and decision-making

A central theme of the report is the rise of the AI-native R&D stack — a layered architecture spanning scientific intelligence, generative design, digital twins, automated experimentation, real-world evidence integration and regulatory traceability.

Instead of linear handoffs, modern development models now run discovery, CMC, clinical and regulatory workstreams in parallel. Scientific copilots synthesize literature and multi-omics data in minutes. Generative models design molecules before synthesis. Digital twins simulate biological and manufacturing scenarios before capital is committed. Speed in R&D isn't just quicker tests anymore. It's quicker, smarter decisions from linked data and safe AI flows.

Manufacturing moves upstream

As biologics and advanced therapies grow, manufacturability is no longer a downstream function. The report underscores that CMC decisions now shape discovery strategy from the outset. Early integration between science, digital modelling and production planning improves reliability, quality consistency and cost control. Supply continuity is also emerging as a design requirement rather than a corrective measure. Advanced modalities depend on specialized inputs — vectors, enzymes, high-potency payloads — making early diversification and coordination critical.

India’s strategic inflection point

The report situates India at a structural inflection point. Policy signals — including the Biopharma SHAKTI program announced in Budget 2026, strengthened clinical networks, and regulatory modernization — indicate a shift from capacity building toward capability building.

India’s pharma ecosystem runs deep: over 900,000 professionals across research, engineering and manufacturing. Its CDMO market, at ~US$7.9 billion in 2024, is set to nearly double by 2033. And with 23 of the top 50 global life sciences firms operating GCCs here, India is embedding AI, clinical analytics and digital innovation into global pipelines.

The report concludes that the next phase of biopharma will depend less on isolated breakthroughs and more on ecosystem design. Organizations that align discovery, AI, clinical evidence, manufacturing and supply into governed platforms will reduce avoidable failure, improve predictability and scale innovation with discipline.

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