Top Pharmaceutical Hubs in India: From Baddi, Selaqui to Hyderabad

India is globally renowned as the Pharmacy of the World, and much of this success can be attributed to the pharmaceutical manufacturing hubs that drive production, innovation, and exports. These industrial clusters, spread across various regions, form the backbone of India's pharma prowess—providing cost-effective manufacturing, skilled manpower, regulatory-compliant infrastructure, and proximity to key markets.

Let’s explore India’s leading pharmaceutical hubs—each playing a unique role in fueling the country’s growth in this critical sector.

🏭 1. Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) – The Pharma Powerhouse of North India

• Overview: Located in the Solan district, Baddi is India's largest pharmaceutical manufacturing hub by volume.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Home to over 1,000 pharma companies

  • Hosts major players like Dr. Reddy’s, Cipla, Sun Pharma, Torrent, Cadila

  • Excellent tax incentives and regulatory support from the early 2000s

• Specialization: Generics, tablets, capsules, ointments, injectables

• Challenges: Environmental pressures and infrastructural strain

  
  

🏭 2. Selaqui (Dehradun, Uttarakhand) – An Emerging Hub with Strategic Advantage

• Overview: Part of the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (SIDCUL) initiative, Selaqui has emerged as a preferred location for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Proximity to Delhi-NCR and well-connected logistics

  • WHO-GMP, USFDA-compliant units

  • Over 250+ pharma units, including Akums, Mankind, Suncare Formulations, and others

• Specialization: Contract manufacturing, nutraceuticals, ayurvedic, and allopathic formulations

• Added Edge: Clean environment and government support attract both Indian and multinational companies

  
  

🏭 3. Hyderabad (Telangana) – The Genome Valley of India

• Overview: Known as “Bulk Drug Capital of India”, Hyderabad is also the birthplace of many biotech and life sciences startups.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Hosts Genome Valley, India’s first biotech cluster

  • More than 800 pharmaceutical companies, including Dr. Reddy’s, Aurobindo, Divi’s Labs

  • Advanced R&D infrastructure and talent pool from institutions like NIPER, IICT

• Specialization: APIs, vaccines, biologics, biosimilars, research-based innovation

• Growth Plans: Telangana’s “Pharma City” is poised to be the world’s largest integrated pharma cluster

  
  

🏭 4. Ahmedabad & Vadodara (Gujarat) – The Regulatory Stronghold

• Overview: Gujarat contributes nearly 28% of India’s pharma production and is home to the country’s most mature pharma ecosystems.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Base for Zydus, Intas, Torrent, Cadila Pharmaceuticals

  • Strong support infrastructure: ports, roads, power, water

  • Presence of pharma parks and state-of-the-art testing labs

• Specialization: APIs, injectables, R&D-focused formulations, oncology drugs

• Regulatory Note: Many USFDA-approved plants located in and around Ahmedabad

  
  

🏭 5. Mumbai–Pune Belt (Maharashtra) – India’s Pharma Corporate Capital

• Overview: Headquarters of India’s biggest pharma multinationals are based here.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Home to Sun Pharma, Lupin, Glenmark, Cipla, Wockhardt

  • Advanced research labs, clinical trial centers, and formulation units

  • Pune is emerging as a biotech and vaccine manufacturing node

• Specialization: R&D, branded generics, biologics, vaccines, global exports

• Added Advantage: Port connectivity for exports (JLNPT, Mumbai Port)

  
  

🏭 6. Chandigarh–Mohali – The Innovation Cluster

• Overview: While smaller in scale, Chandigarh and Mohali have become popular for high-quality, small-batch, and clinical trial supplies.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Excellent academic and R&D linkage (NIPER Mohali)

  • Presence of emerging brands and startups

• Specialization: Innovation, formulation development, contract R&D

• Appeal: Good infrastructure, lifestyle, and ease of doing business

  
  

🏭 7. Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) – The Rising API Hub

• Overview: Part of India’s strategy to reduce API dependence on China.

• Why It’s Important:

  • Government support through Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes

  • Home to APIIC pharma parks

  • Increasing presence of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) units

• Specialization: Bulk drugs, fermentation-based APIs, intermediates

  
  

🧪 The Role of Contract Manufacturers

As global pharmaceutical companies focus on cost optimization and supply chain de-risking, contract manufacturing in India has surged. Hubs like Selaqui, Baddi, and Hyderabad have become strategic partners in global pharma supply chains.

🌟 Suncare Formulations – Manufacturing from the Heart of Selaqui

At Suncare Formulations Pvt Ltd, we operate from our twin WHO-GMP-certified plants in the pharma-rich zone of Selaqui, Dehradun. With 30+ years of manufacturing excellence, we’ve built a trusted presence across India and globally, offering:

• 400+ formulations across 60 therapeutic areas

• Expertise in tablets, capsules, liquids, topicals

• Clients include Lupin, Cadila, Micro Labs, and several government initiatives (Jan Aushadhi, DRDO)

🔗 Learn more at: www.suncareformulations.com

🧠 Industry Leadership

Our Director, Mr. Sanjay Sikaria, holds influential positions:

• Secretary, Drug Manufacturers Association (Dehradun)

• Secretary, Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs (FOPE)

• Director, TIE Dehradun and Uni-Scientific Analytical Research Foundation

  
  

🔮 Conclusion

India’s pharmaceutical hubs are more than just manufacturing bases—they are engines of innovation, employment, and global health access. As new technologies, stricter regulations, and global demand continue to evolve, these clusters will remain vital to India’s dominance in the pharmaceutical world.

Looking to partner with a reliable, compliant, and experienced manufacturer? Let’s build the future of pharma together.