Union Minister calls for India to move from 'Pharmacy of the World' to 'Laboratory of the World'

Union Minister calls for India to move from 'Pharmacy of the World' to 'Laboratory of the World'

Addressing the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 in Ahmedabad on 23 August 2026, Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel said India must move beyond its identity as the 'Pharmacy of the World' to become the 'Laboratory of the World', driven by research, innovation and artificial intelligence in drug discovery, personalised treatment and disease surveillance. She said AI adoption in healthcare must remain safe, responsible and complementary to clinical judgement, and highlighted Centres of Excellence for AI in healthcare set up at AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh, alongside the government's Rs 5,000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme.