INDIA'S BIOTECH FUTURE
Despite the success of some of these international collaborations, however, India's biotech sector has not yet reached its
potential, and Indian CMOs have not yet acquired significant quantities of foreign biologics manufacturing contracts. Collaborations
have been limited by the concerns of Western companies regarding both quality and IP protection, as mentioned above.
Therefore, India's continued success in competing with other emerging countries, such as China, will depend on the country's
ability to address the concerns of Western biopharmaceutical companies. The Indian government must better ensure that regulations
to improve quality control and regulatory oversight are enforced, and that training programs for both biologics regulatory
approval and manufacturing practices are improved.
Western companies who choose to work in India, meanwhile, must make a conscious effort to address India's regional cultural
and linguistic differences by incorporating professional translation and interpreting services into their business strategies,
and help to provide specific training in the areas in which India is lacking.
Greater collaboration between Western and Indian companies means fostering an unprecedented level of partnership between the
two. However, the result—new quality products that are available to more people for less—may be worth the effort.
Karen Politis Virk is the director of biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical research at Language Connections, Brighton, MA, 617.731.3510, karen@languageconnections.com
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