The story
The public-sector Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) plant set up in Hyderabad in the 1960s trained the chemists who later founded firms such as Dr. Reddy's. Bulk drug units clustered in the Patancheru, Bollaram and Jeedimetla industrial estates. Genome Valley, India's first organised life-sciences cluster, followed from 1999 and drew vaccine and biotech makers such as Bharat Biotech. Telangana is now among India's top pharma exporting states.
In numbers
Drugs and pharmaceutical exports from Telangana were Rs 49,275 crore in FY26; Hyderabad accounts for approximately 20% of India's total pharma exports.
Telangana: state profile (IBEF) · 2026Genome Valley brings together more than 200 companies from 18 countries, employing around 25,000 people (2025).
Genome Valley, Hyderabad: a global biopharma scale-up hub (Labiotech.eu) · 2025
Ways in for a newcomer
- Supply solvents, intermediates and excipients to API makers
- Effluent treatment and solvent recovery services
- Contract testing and regulatory documentation
- Lab equipment servicing and calibration
Problems the cluster faces
- Strict pollution rules after groundwater contamination around Patancheru
- Dependence on Chinese key starting materials
- US FDA inspection risk
- Price pressure in generic markets
Businesses to start here
Magnesium Stearate →Herbal Extraction Unit →Medical Store (Retail Pharmacy) →