The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) concluded the 11th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit (GPQS) 2026, on 24th February, centred on the theme Reimagining Pharma Operations: Talent, Technology and Trust.
The two-day Summit convened over 400 delegates and 50 speakers, including global regulators, industry leaders, policymakers, and quality experts, to deliberate on the future of pharmaceutical quality, manufacturing excellence, and regulatory trust.
The keynote address was delivered by Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India. Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), delivered the inaugural remarks.
Nadda said, “As a reflection of India’s commitment to move from being the 'Pharmacy of the World' to becoming the 'Innovator of the World.’ Referring to the Biopharma Shakti initiative, with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crores, he noted that it aims to position India as a global biopharmaceutical manufacturing hub by strengthening domestic production, expanding research capacity, creating over 1,000 accredited clinical trial sites, and reinforcing CDSCO as a globally aligned scientific review cadre.”
Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, IPA, said, “India supplies affordable, quality-assured medicines and vaccines to more than 200 countries. While scale demonstrates capability, it is quality that builds trust. Embedding rigorous standards across processes, investing in skill development, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI and digital systems, and strengthening collaboration between government, academia, regulators, and industry are essential to sustaining global leadership. If India is to lead not only in volume but in value, quality must remain our foundation.”
The Summit highlighted the growing role of AI-enabled quality systems, digitalisation, data integrity frameworks, and continuous manufacturing as key enablers of resilient and future-ready pharmaceutical operations.
IPA also released three Best Practice Guidance documents:
The Summit also featured a power-packed leadership panel on Navigating the Future of India Pharma: Talent, Technology, and Trust, moderated by Sathya Prathipati, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company.
The discussion offered strategic insights into strengthening India’s pharmaceutical leadership by building future-ready talent, accelerating digital and AI adoption, reinforcing quality culture, and deepening global trust. The panel underscored that sustained competitiveness would depend on aligning innovation, operational excellence, and regulatory credibility with a strong commitment to patient-centricity and push for upskilling across functions.
For the first time, IPA introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award in Academia, recognising distinguished contributions to pharmaceutical science and quality, and the Hackathon Winning Presentation, spotlighting innovation and emerging talent in quality advancement.
Dr B. Suresh was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Academia by Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences and President, IPA. for his distinguished contributions to pharmaceutical science and his enduring commitment to advancing quality standards in the field.
The Hackathon Winning Presentation Award to the champion team from the Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai. The second runner-up position was secured by the National Institute of Technology Andhra Pradesh, while the third runner-up honours were jointly awarded to K.B. Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research and L.M. College of Pharmacy.
In addition, a Special Recognition Award was conferred upon Shirish Belapure, Senior Technical Advisor, IPA, in appreciation of his valuable contributions and leadership in strengthening pharmaceutical quality initiatives.
