Dr Reddy’s whitepaper outlines roadmap for strengthening India’s translational research ecosystem

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories has released a whitepaper titled “Translational Research Ecosystem: Learnings from the World & Building for India”, highlighting the role of translational science in connecting scientific discovery with healthcare delivery. The report examines translational science at the intersection of scientific innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, funding, regulation, clinical development, policymaking and commercialisation.

The whitepaper brings together recommendations and insights from experts representing academia, industry, government, not-for-profit organisations and hospitals in India and globally. It is based on discussions held during the third roundtable convened by Dr. Reddy’s as a prelude to the Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture Series.

According to the company, translational science helps bridge the gap between scientific discovery and practical application by supporting the movement of research from laboratories to patient care. The whitepaper states that scientific, operational, financial and regulatory challenges continue to influence the pace and scale of this process.

The report outlines barriers in translational research and identifies opportunities for India to strengthen systems that support the conversion of scientific discoveries into therapies, technologies and healthcare solutions. It notes that while India has established many of the elements required for innovation, challenges including regulatory approvals, funding gaps and the need for stronger collaboration between academia and industry continue to affect progress. Drawing on global learnings, the whitepaper presents an evidence-based framework to address these gaps and states that collaboration across academia, industry, healthcare institutions, funding bodies and government will be required to accelerate the translation of research into patient benefit.

Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s, said; “India stands at a critical inflection point in its innovation journey. To realize our ambition of becoming a global discovery hub, we need a step change, from incremental progress to innovation at scale. This requires stronger translational research pathways to ensure that scientific discoveries translate into meaningful patient impact, alongside accelerated R&D, scaled talent aligned to academic and research structures, and shared infrastructure to support innovation more efficiently. With the right coordination, India has the potential to play an important role in shaping the future of healthcare.”

The whitepaper identifies bridging the translational gap as one of the priorities for India’s research ecosystem. It states that although India has developed capabilities in scientific research and pharmaceutical manufacturing, the pathway between early-stage discovery and clinical development remains fragmented, resulting in innovations losing momentum before reaching patients.

The report also calls for greater collaboration between academia, industry, healthcare institutions, investors and government agencies to support the translation of scientific research into healthcare solutions. It states that sustained and structured funding mechanisms are required to support innovations through the stages of discovery, development and commercialisation.

Another recommendation is the development of regulatory capability through structured programmes or a centre of excellence for innovation. According to the report, regulatory systems need to evolve alongside scientific advances to support researchers, developers and investors.

The whitepaper also highlights the role of India’s hospitals, patient cohorts and real-world clinical data as research assets that can support innovation when integrated into translational pathways. It further states that progress should be measured by the number of innovations reaching patients and improving health outcomes rather than research outputs alone.

The third roundtable featured Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chairperson, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation; Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani; Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO, ANRF; Prof. Guido Kroemer, Université Paris Cité and Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Paris; Dr. Satya Prakash Dash, CEO, IKP Knowledge Park, Hyderabad; Dr. Murali Ramachandra, CEO, Aurigene Oncology Ltd., Bengaluru; Prof. B.J. Rao, Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad; and Dr. Hrishikesh Sarkar, Director, Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery and Neuro-oncology, Continental Hospitals, Hyderabad. The roundtable was chaired by Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s.

Dr. Reddy’s instituted the Dr. Anji Reddy Memorial Lecture Series in 2023 to honour the contributions of scientist, entrepreneur and institution builder Dr. K. Anji Reddy, who founded Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories in 1984. The lecture series is based on the theme of Science, Society and Sustainability. Since 2024, the company has organised an annual roundtable before the lecture, bringing together Nobel Laureates and leaders from academia, research, science, industry, clinical practice and public institutions. Each roundtable concludes with a whitepaper developed in partnership with Citeline. Previous editions focused on “Emerging Frameworks in Innovation” and “Prevention, Cure & Quality of Life: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Public Health”.

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