Kolkata has a long history of pharmaceutical production, going all the way back to India’s first chemist shop and, about one century later, the country’s first pharma company. Today, the city hosts a number of domestic and international companies, manufacturing units and research facilities that develop and produce a wide range of therapies. Below is a list of Kolkata-based pharma companies helping to expand the city’s impact on the sector on its way to becoming a destination pharma hub.
Top Pharma Companies in Kolkata
- Pfizer
- AstraZeneca
- Sun Pharmaceuticals
- Johnson & Johnson
- Cipla
- GSK
- Novartis
- Roche
- Sanofi
- Baye
Top Pharma Companies in Kolkata
GSK, formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline, is a London-based biopharma company that specializes in treating infectious diseases, HIV, oncology as well as respiratory and immunology. Founded in 2000, the company is credited with discovering and developing the world’s first malaria vaccine, as well as several medicines that have been deemed as essential by the World Health Organization. Its India-based operations include a state-of-the-art Global Capability Center in Bangalore, with supporting branch offices in cities like Kolkata.
Sanofi, the world’s largest producer of vaccines, is currently treating half a billion people around the world. The French company is known for delivering the first injectable polio vaccine, and was also the first to treat influenza, meningitis and rabies. Today, Sanofi operates in over 90 countries, developing therapies across several sectors, including diabetes, cardiovascular and rare diseases as well as oncology, immunology, multiple sclerosis and rare blood disorders. The company came to India in 1956 and has several offices in Kolkata.
Swiss multinational pharma company Novartis develops medicine through five different biotherapeutic platforms. The company, which has a regional headquarters in Mumbai and branch offices around the country, has championed breakthrough treatments in cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, immunology, neuroscience and oncology. Operating in over 150 countries, Novartis’ therapeutics treat 800 million patients worldwide.
Apollo Hospital is a multinational healthcare group headquartered in Chennai, and became India’s first corporate healthcare provider when it opened in 1983. With more than 70 hospitals throughout India, it operates one of the largest private healthcare networks in the country, overseeing thousands of pharmacies, primary care and diagnostic centers, telehealth clinics and digital healthcare services through its subsidiaries. Its Kolkata location, the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, has been recognized for pulling off first-of-its-kind surgeries.
Sun Pharmaceutical is India’s largest drug maker by revenue. The Mumbai-based company sells specialty prescription medicines, covering areas like psychiatry, dermatology and oncology, as well as over-the-counter products like vitamins and topical creams to more than 100 countries. Founded in 1983, Sun Pharmaceuticals originally began its operations in Kolkata, which started with just five products to treat psychiatry ailments.
Bayer is a German life-sciences company that sells health and nutrition products. It made its mark as the original creator of aspirin, first marketed in 1899, and is also responsible for household over-the-counter products like MiraLAX, Claritin, Alka-Seltzer, Midol and Aleve. In biotech, Bayer develops genetically modified, high-value seeds, regenerative farming and sustainable practices within crop science. Bayer India is actively involved in numerous clinical trial studies from its research facility in Hyderabad, focusing on oncology, women's health, cardiology and ophthalmology, and has a corporate office and distributors in Kolkata.
Another Switzerland-based company, Roche, has been developing both pharmaceutical and diagnostic solutions for more than a century. Every year, 28 million patients are treated with Roche products, while its array of in vitro diagnostics are used to test for medical conditions such as cancer and diabetes. It’s recognized as one of the world’s largest drugmakers in cancer treatment, with over 30 medicines named by the World Health Organization as essential medicines. With regional headquarters in Mumbai, the company has innovation centers in over a dozen countries, and diagnostic offices throughout India, including one in Kolkata.
Pfizer is a global biotech and pharma company that develops drugs, vaccines and therapies for disease treatment and prevention. In addition to providing the world’s first FDA-approved Covid-19 vaccine, the company is responsible for household brands like Advil, Viagra, Robitussin and Zoloft. While Pfizer is headquartered in New York, Pfizer expanded its operations to India in 1950, where it now operates three manufacturing plants and a number of offices throughout the country, including logistics services in Kolkata.
Another Kolkata-based pharma company, Stadmed is a supplier of more than 40 products worldwide. The company claims to be the first to introduce amino acid based enzymes to India, and is known for delivering several blockbuster treatments, including urinary alkaliser Alkasol, respiratory aid Pulmocod and digestives Aminozyme and Entrozyme. Stadmed’s two main manufacturing facilities are in Kolkata and Lucknow.
Multinational giant Johnson & Johnson sells consumer healthcare products, manufactures pharmaceuticals and develops medical devices. In addition to inventing Listerine, Band Aids and disposable contact lenses, The New-Jersey based company is known for its antiretroviral drugs that treat HIV, cancer therapies and developing the only single-shot vaccine for Covid-19. Its regional headquarters are in Mumbai, with several offices and facilities in Kolkata.
Headquartered in Kolkata, Aurio Pharma opened its operations in 1972 to produce liquid medications and has since become a prominent pharma company in Eastern India. Today, it manufactures more than 200 varieties of pharmaceutical products including antibiotics, anti-allergens, cough syrups and vitamin pills, including its flagship product Gassanol, an anti-ulcer syrup. The company sells through its extensive network of doctors, dealers and retailers across India, and also supplies medicines to government agencies and hospitals.
AstraZeneca is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, developing treatments for a variety of major diseases, with a particular focus on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, oncology, immunology and respiratory conditions. The British company has been operating in India since 1979, where its employees handle local manufacturing, sales and marketing activities. Its regional headquarters are based in Bangalore, with offices in Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata.
Jupiter Pharmaceuticals is known for combining traditional Ayurvedic practices with modern pharmaceutical techniques. Its Kolkata-based plant is capable of manufacturing a wide range of medicinal formulations, from liquids, tablets and capsules to injections and controlled-release products. The company’s bestsellers include antiseptic mouthwash Glycoseptol, digestive Carminozyme, Terex cold relief tablets and Ayurvedic compound Jvine, which naturally treats convalescence.
Abbott India, a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, offers over 400 branded generic pharmaceuticals across various therapeutic categories, from women’s health and gastroenterology to cardiology and metabolic disorders. The Illinois-based company expanded its operations to India in 1910, where it fulfills the majority of its product requirements from two local plants, located in Himachal Pradesh and Goa. Its product development, manufacturing, sales and customer service teams work from many cities, including two key sites on Park Street and Bhowanipore in Kolkata.
Burnet Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical provider headquartered in Kolkata. Founded in 1982, the company delivers health promoters, fever reducers, antiparasitics, antibiotics, laxatives, cough and cold medications as well as anxiety, arthritis and pain relievers. Additionally, Burnet Pharmaceuticals offers therapies specific to women's health to treat menopausal symptoms and uterine-related conditions. The entirety of its products are manufactured from two facilities, with oral solids in tablet and capsule form are processed in Kolkata and oral liquids in its secondary Gorakhpur location.
Headquartered in Mumbai, Cipla is the third-largest drug producer in India. The company has more than 1,500 products across 65 therapeutic categories, specializing in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression while providing low-cost drugs for AIDS and the avian flu. Aside from its two Kolkata branch offices, Cipla has a presence in more than a dozen other countries, from the United States to Uganda, with more than 47 manufacturing sites around the world.
Zydus Lifesciences, formerly known as Cadila Healthcare, is a multinational pharma manufacturer of generic drugs and over-the-counter herbal remedies and lotions to more than 25 global markets. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, the company is also involved in developing novel therapeutics, such as the world’s first needle-free, plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19, ZyCoV-D, through its research-driven innovation program. It has corporate offices throughout the country, including cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.
Multinational pharma company Lupin is one of India’s largest drug makers. Specializing in areas like pediatrics, anti-infectives and asthma treatments, the Mumbai-based company provides branded and generic drugs, biosimilars and active pharmaceutical ingredients to more than 100 countries. Lupin has seven research and development centers throughout the country, as well as a corporate office and consultancy in Kolkata.
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories was one of India’s first global manufacturers of pharmaceuticals. The Hyderabad-based company distributes active pharmaceutical ingredients, generics, branded generics, biosimilars and over-the-counter drugs for more than half a billion patients worldwide, with plans to triple its customer reach by 2030. The company specializes in gastroenterology, cardiovascular, diabetology, oncology, pain management as well as dermatology.
EMCEE Pharmaceuticals is a Kolkata-based pharma company that works in product design, development and drug manufacturing. Founded in 1980, the company originally specialized in liquid formulations, but has since expanded to include capsules and tablets, filling out a product pipeline of rehydration salts, antidiarrheals, anti-cancer medications and multivitamins.
