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Amit Shah Flags Pharma as Strategic Pillar for India’s Health and Economic Future

The PAGE initiative, led by member companies of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), aims to elevate skills and quality standards across the sector, with an eye on boosting manufacturing excellence through closer industry-academia cooperation.

• By Newsdesk
• Ahmedabad
• Jan 13, 2026

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah underscored the critical role of the pharmaceutical industry on Tuesday, designating it a strategic national asset with far-reaching implications for public health, economic vigour and international confidence in India’s capabilities. 

Addressing dignitaries at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Pharmaceutical Academy for Global Excellence (PAGE) in Sanathal near Ahmedabad, Shah said the initiative represents a transformative step in building self-reliance under the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat agenda. 

“The pharmaceutical sector is a strategic national asset - essential not only to safeguarding public health but also to strengthening our economic foundation and global standing,” Shah said, highlighting the academy’s potential to fortify India’s industrial and scientific edge. 

The PAGE initiative, led by member companies of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), aims to elevate skills and quality standards across the sector, with an eye on boosting manufacturing excellence through closer industry-academia cooperation. IPA firms have committed USD 50 million to the programme, which will offer advanced training across the pharmaceutical value chain. 

Under the broader Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Shah reiterated India’s ambition to shift from a “Make in India” model to one that emphasises “Discover and Make in India” - prioritising quality, innovation and research as key drivers of future growth. 

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel noted Gujarat’s longstanding leadership in the pharmaceutical industry and said hosting PAGE will further cement the state’s standing as a national pharma hub. Industry leaders and academics at the event echoed the call for a well-trained workforce equipped to meet rising global standards. 

The development comes at a time when India’s pharma industry is already a global force ranked among the world’s largest producers of affordable medicines, supplying an estimated 20% of global drug volumes and a significant share of vaccines worldwide.

As policymakers aim to expand India’s footprint from generics into higher-value biologics and innovative therapies, initiatives like PAGE are positioned as key catalysts for building deeper domestic capabilities and sustaining long-term competitiveness on the world stage.

(Source: PTI)