India’s pharmaceutical sector seems to be gearing up for a transformative leap. Over the past year, the country has witnessed approvals for two indigenous CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapies — cutting-edge immunotherapies that reprogram a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer.
These therapies, developed by Mumbai-based ImmunoACT and Bengaluru-based Immuneel Therapeutics, mark India’s arrival on one of medicine’s most advanced frontiers.
Yet the promise of these therapies has so far been overshadowed by their steep price tags — ranging between 30 lakh and 50 lakh per patient — keeping them out of reach for most who need them.
That may be about to change.
A growing number of Indian pharmaceutical and biotech companies, already established global leaders in generics and biosimilars, are now strategically moving into the realm of cell and gene therapy contract research and manufacturing.
This shift could redefine the economics of advanced medicine, offering companies higher-margin innovation opportunities and giving patients a realistic chance at affordable, next-generation treatments for serious diseases.
Bharat Biotech — best known for developing India’s first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin — is the latest entrant in this fast-evolving field.
On November 3, the Hyderabad-based firm announced the launch of Nucelion, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on next-generation Cell and Gene Therapy Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing (CRDMO).
The move follows similar initiatives by players like Syngene, Laurus Labs, and Aragen. Industry analysts see Bharat Biotech’s foray as a natural next step in the evolution of Indian pharma — a step that could reshape business models while expanding patient access.
“Cell and gene therapy CRDMOs represent a strategic inflection point for Indian pharma,” pharmaceutical analyst Salil Kallianpur told India Today. “For companies, it’s a path to innovation-led growth and global differentiation. For patients, it promises a future where next-generation therapies are not a privilege, but a possibility.”
GROWING NEED FOR ADVANCED THERAPIES
Cell and gene therapies are among the most sophisticated medical treatments in existence.
In cell therapy, a patient’s own cells are collected, modified in a laboratory, and infused back to fight disease. Gene therapy, by contrast, involves altering the genetic makeup of cells — adding or modifying genes to correct underlying defects or enable new disease-fighting functions.
Currently, these therapies are approved mainly for certain blood cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphoma, as well as rare genetic conditions such as sickle cell disease, haemophilia, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
But research is rapidly expanding into solid tumors, chronic conditions, and even infectious diseases.
For middle-income countries like India, however, the costs — often running into multiples of lakhs and even crores per treatment cycle — remain prohibitive. That’s why local development and manufacturing could be game-changing, trade veterans feel.
“Domestic production shortens timelines for clinical studies, reduces reliance on offshore facilities, and allows closer monitoring under Indian conditions,” said Saransh Chaudhary, president (global critical care) at Venus Remedies.
“Over time, that can improve access and bring total treatment costs down to more sustainable levels.”
A POTENTIAL GAME-CHANGER FOR PRICES
The recent success of ImmunoACT’s NexCAR19, developed in collaboration with IIT Bombay and Laurus Labs, demonstrates what’s possible when India builds such therapies at home.
NexCAR19, India’s first indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy, was launched at a fraction of the cost of its Western counterparts. In the United States, similar treatments cost around $400,000 — roughly 3.3 crore — per patient.
Industry observers say Bharat Biotech’s entry could accelerate this trend. If the company expands its advanced therapies division or partners with global biotechs, it could emerge as India’s first large-scale cell and gene therapy manufacturing anchor — a move that might drastically reduce prices for these life-saving treatments.
“The launch of Nucelion signals Bharat Biotech’s intent to build deep technical capabilities in one of the most promising areas of modern medicine,” said Shrikant Akolkar, vice-president and pharma analyst at Nuvama Institutional Equities.
“It could be a defining moment for India’s biotech landscape.”
A MARKET ON STEEP RISE
India’s cell and gene therapy market is projected to reach US$1.65 billion by 2027, growing at a robust 18.1% compound annual rate from 2023. Globally, the sector is expected to surge from an estimated $21–23 billion in 2024 to as much as $119 billion by 2034.
As Indian companies build the infrastructure and expertise for cell and gene therapy manufacturing, and as government agencies like Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) strengthen funding and training frameworks, the vision of affordable, advanced treatments for cancers and genetic disorders may finally come within reach.
What once seemed futuristic could soon become the new frontier of accessible healthcare — powered by Indian innovation, experts hope.
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