Manthan 2026, a Research & Development Leadership Symposium concluded successfully in Mumbai, bringing together senior leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, clinical research organisations, academia, hospitals, regulatory bodies and policy-making institutions. Instituted by The VASUs Foundation and powered by DiagnoSearch Life Sciences, the symposium was envisioned as a strategic platform to encourage leadership, collaboration and evidence-based dialogue across India’s life sciences and healthcare research ecosystem.
Aligned with the theme “India in the Changing Landscape of Life-Sciences Research & Development,” the day-long event focused on examining India’s progress in life sciences R&D, identifying existing gaps and discussing actionable pathways to strengthen the country’s position as a global hub for high-quality research and innovation
Eminent Steering Committee and Industry Representation
Manthan 2026 brought together a distinguished steering committee and senior leaders from across the pharmaceutical industry, clinical research organisations, academia, hospitals, and research institutions, reflecting the breadth of expertise required to shape India’s evolving life sciences R&D ecosystem. The symposium featured eminent voices including Dr. Vinod Mattoo, Executive Director, DiagnoSearch Life Sciences; Ms. Suneela Thatte, Head – R&D, Merck KGaA; Mr. Anirban Roy Chowdhury, Associate Vice President, Sun Pharma; Dr. Chirag Trivedi, Global Head – CSU, Sanofi; Dr. Manisha Ginde, Representative, The VASUs Foundation, among others.
Highlighting the symposium’s larger purpose, Dr. Manisha Ginde, Co-Founder, President & Managing Director, DiagnoSearch Life Sciences and Representative, The VASUs Foundation, noted that “Manthan reflects a collective commitment to advancing India’s clinical research and life sciences R&D capabilities, driven by collaboration, quality, and innovation.” She emphasised that the platform aims to strengthen India’s position as a global hub for innovation, clinical excellence, and translational science.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Vinod Mattoo, Executive Director, DiagnoSearch Life Sciences, emphasized the breadth of engagement at the symposium, stating that “the discussions witnessed exemplary participation from industry, academia, policymakers and regulators, all focused on modernising research operations and accelerating innovation pipelines.” He added that such dialogues are critical to shaping collaborative and sustainable pathways for India’s R&D ecosystem.
Together, these perspectives reflected Manthan 2026’s role as a convergence point for leadership across sectors, fostering shared responsibility in advancing India’s life sciences and clinical research landscape.
An Emerging Innovation Ecosystem, Yet Persistent Challenges
Discussions highlighted that while a supportive ecosystem for life sciences innovation is steadily emerging in India, several critical challenges remain unresolved. Speakers pointed to constraints such as access to finance, infrastructure limitations and gaps in human resources, all of which continue to impact the speed and scale of innovation. The conversations emphasised the need to move beyond isolated efforts and towards coordinated, ecosystem-driven approaches that can enable sustainable R&D growth.
Unlocking the Potential of Young Scientific Talent
One of the most strongly emphasised themes during the symposium was the immense potential of India’s young scientific talent. Speakers highlighted that while many graduates today are academically strong and well trained in laboratory techniques, they often lack exposure to industry and manufacturing environments. This skills gap, speakers noted, must be addressed through mentorship and sustained guidance from industry leaders and experts to build a workforce capable of meeting the sector’s future goals.
Industry–Academia Collaboration, Globally Aligned Regulations and More
The need for robust and harmonized regulatory SOPs aligned with global standards practiced in the West was also strongly emphasized to enable seamless participation in the global market. Strengthening and sustaining industry–academia collaboration was identified as essential, with innovation clusters highlighted as powerful enablers, since meaningful innovation thrives through collaboration. The sessions also explored the convergence of advanced biotechnology with Industry 4.0, including the growing role of artificial intelligence across applications such as drug discovery and development.
Insights and Session Highlights from a Few Industry Leaders
During the antibiotic research session, Dr. Habil Khorakiwala, Founder and Chairman of Wockhardt Group, delivered a compelling address on India’s potential to lead global innovation in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). He highlighted that AMR causes approximately four times more deaths than COVID-19 in a similar timeframe, yet remains under-recognized.
Dr. Khorakiwala shared Wockhardt’s 30-year journey: strategically focusing on antibiotics when big pharma vacated the space, building a stable, high-caliber Indian scientific team with low attrition, forging academic collaborations and achieving remarkable milestones by developing six QIDP-designated antibiotics addressing ~80-85% of multi-drug resistant cases. He celebrated India’s first novel antibiotic NDA filing by Wockhardt as proof that sustained belief, long-term investment, and perseverance can position India as a global R&D leader.
Dr. Sanjay Singh from Gennova Biopharmaceuticals spoke on precision medicine and biomedical engineering, outlining the evolution of cancer therapies and highlighting the availability of CAR-T therapies in India today. He emphasised that CAR-T therapy alone may not be sufficient and highlighted the importance of a multipronged treatment approach to improve patient outcomes.
Offering a regulatory perspective, Mr. Yoganath Rajendran discussed Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) challenges in the development of cell and gene therapies (CGT). His session provided valuable insights into regulatory expectations and the complexities involved in translating advanced therapies from research to clinical application.
Dr. Vijay Patil from P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre and SunAct Cancer Institute Pvt. Ltd delivered an in-depth and knowledge-rich session on CAR-T cell therapy. He explained patient suitability, the high level of clinical expertise required to administer the therapy and the importance of post-treatment observation in ensuring successful outcomes.
Highlighting that the majority of Indian cancer patients suffer from solid tumours, he noted that head and neck cancer represents a significant disease burden in India. Dr. Patil stressed the need for intensive, locally driven research and the development of indigenous solutions to control costs and improve accessibility.
A Platform for Collaborative Progress
Through four focused thematic sessions; ranging from the future of life sciences R&D and next-generation therapeutics to tropical diseases and ecosystem enablement; Manthan 2026 reinforced the importance of collaboration, patient-centric research models, skill development and globally aligned governance frameworks.
The symposium concluded with a shared consensus on enabling scientifically rigorous, ethically governed, collaborative research initiatives and collective progress in shaping the future of India’s life sciences and clinical research ecosystem.