Chemicals, including Pharmaceuticals 

There are over 1,400 public/private companies dealing with the larger segment classified under Chemicals in the country. Nearly 40 percent of these companies deal with drugs and pharmaceuticals, just over a hundred manufacture cosmetics products, about 150 are in the business of inorganic chemicals, like oxides, salts, chemical elements, etc., and 77 have fertilizers as their main product. 

361 of these companies show R&D expenses in their latest financial statements, which works out to about 25 percent of the total under this sector. Most of the companies with R&D investments are in drugs and pharmaceuticals sub-sector. 41 of these companies with R&D have an investment of over Rs. 10 crore on the activity. 

Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy’s lab, Sun Pharma, Cipla, Cadilla, Lupin, Workhardt, Torrent Pharma, Panacea are in the elite club of companies with over Rs. 100 crore R&D investment. 

These companies engage in the R&D in one or more of the following areas: 

New drug molecules, Active Pharmaceuticals ingredients (API), Key drug intermediaries, products in novel delivery system, Bioequalency testing, process development in drug manufacturing. Some of the companies specialize in development of specific disease related drugs. Some have also invested research efforts in effluent control, which is a problem associated with chemical industries. Contract research for other companies within India and abroad is also a main activity in case of some of the smaller business agencies. 

Globally R&D in pharmaceuticals is a prominent activity and India has an active share in the same. Some of our companies have research collaboration with global leaders. Pharma research is also an important area in which MNCs have established their own research centers in the country.

Major players with R&D in the sector [2007*]               

 

Rs. Crores

 

R&D Capital

R&D  Current

R&D  Total

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.

97.49

386.33

483.82

Dr. Reddy'S Laboratories Ltd.

47.09

245.71

292.8

Sun Pharmaceutical Inds. Ltd.

34.65

153.62

188.27

Cipla Ltd.

28.41

147.32

175.73

Cadila Healthcare Ltd.

26.9

129.1

156

Lupin Ltd.

10.93

131.21

142.14

Wockhardt Ltd.

76.65

51.21

127.86

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

38.18

73.96

112.14

Nicholas Piramal India Ltd.

19.51

87.89

107.4

Panacea Biotec Ltd.

56.71

50.5

107.21

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

15.49

81.22

96.71

Matrix Laboratories Ltd.

12

80.1

92.1

Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

23.34

39.63

62.97

U S V Ltd.

38.6

23.86

62.46

Ind-Swift Laboratories Ltd.

50.78

7.73

58.51

Biocon Ltd.

9.83

38.04

47.87

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

0

43.26

43.26

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

0

35.74

35.74

Dabur Pharma Ltd.

0

35.71

35.71

Alembic Ltd.

11.78

22.76

34.54

Ipca Laboratories Ltd.

6.64

26.19

32.83

Strides Arcolab Ltd.

4.7

26.04

30.74

Suven Life Sciences Ltd.

8.04

19

27.04

Neuland Laboratories Ltd.

20.02

5.21

25.23

Pfizer Ltd.

0.26

23.54

23.8

Unichem Laboratories Ltd.

3.16

19.67

22.83

Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

5.89

16

21.89

Shasun Chemicals & Drugs Ltd.

4.73

17.11

21.84

Syngenta India Ltd.

3.81

15.19

19

United Phosphorus Ltd.

10.12

7.06

17.18

Sanmar Speciality Chemicals Ltd.

3.35

12.63

15.98

Gharda Chemicals Ltd.

2.22

12.29

14.51

Asian Paints Ltd.

1.25

12.9

14.15

Nagarjuna Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

8.96

4.08

13.04

J B Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

1.17

10.96

12.13

Bharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd.

3.82

7.58

11.4

Sanmar Performance Chemicals & Research Services Ltd.

3.73

7.36

11.09

Indoco Remedies Ltd.

5.62

5.45

11.07

Surya Pharmaceutical Ltd.

9.47

1.6

11.07

J K Agri Genetics Ltd.

0

10.52

10.52

Divi'S Laboratories Ltd.

0

10.28

10.28

*Annualized figures 

Growth of R&D investment in the sector is represented graphically below: 

R&D Investment Trends in Chemicals Sector