Roche's decision to establish a new Digital Technology Hub in Hyderabad is another reminder of India's growing importance to the global healthcare industry.
Over the past decade, companies such as Novartis, AstraZeneca and Sanofi have steadily expanded their presence in India through digital technology hubs, global capability centres and R&D operations. These investments are driven by India's deep talent pool, engineering capabilities and ability to support global operations at scale.
But operational expansion is only one part of the story.
A common assumption is that a larger presence in India automatically translates into a larger commercial opportunity. In pharmaceuticals, that is not always the case.
India is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical market by volume, yet nearly 70% of the market is made up of generic medicines, while patented drugs account for less than 15% of total pharmaceutical sales. Affordability, price regulation and strong domestic manufacturers continue to shape purchasing decisions, making India fundamentally different from markets such as the US or Europe, where innovative therapies contribute a much larger share of industry revenues.
Growth is likely to come less from the broader pharmaceutical market and more from India's expanding premium healthcare ecosystem.
India's private healthcare sector already accounts for around 70% of healthcare delivery, and rising incomes, expanding health insurance coverage and growing investments in speciality hospitals are increasing demand for advanced specialised treatments, biologics, diagnostics, precision medicine and medical technologies. This is where global healthcare companies are likely to find their strongest long-term commercial opportunities.
Swiss companies are already well positioned in these segments. Straumann Group, Sonova Group and Ypsomed AG operate in specialised areas where demand is driven by quality, technology and clinical outcomes rather than price alone.
For Swiss healthcare companies, India is an evolving premium healthcare market where success will depend less on scale and more on identifying the right patient segments, building strong clinical partnerships and understanding how private healthcare is reshaping demand.
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