IIM Ahmedabad launches digital archive documenting 125 years of Indian pharma

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) launched India Pharma Archives on Aug 22, a digital platform documenting the 125-year history of India's pharmaceutical industry.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel launched the platform at the IIMA Healthcare Summit in Ahmedabad. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, also attended the event, along with industry experts and academics.

Developed by IIMA, the India Pharma Archives covers the evolution of the pharmaceutical industry from 1901 to 2025. The institute said it is the first living digital platform documenting India's pharmaceutical journey over 125 years.

The platform is publicly available at indiapharmaarchives.com and has been developed by IIMA in support of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), which represents 23 Indian research-driven pharmaceutical companies.

The archive contains about 1,000 documents and resources, including more than 250 video stories, oral histories, anecdotes, rare films and historical footage. It also features profiles of more than 30 industry leaders and individual histories of pharmaceutical companies.

IIMA said the platform is intended as a resource for researchers, students, policymakers, historians and emerging leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.

Sharvil Patel, President of IPA and Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences, described the Indian pharmaceutical industry's development as a story of science, entrepreneurship and global impact.

He said the India Pharma Archives would continue to serve as a digital platform for new ideas, collaborations and solutions to address future healthcare challenges.

IPA member companies currently account for more than 85% of private-sector pharmaceutical and investment activity in India. They contribute over 80% of the country's pharmaceutical exports and represent more than 64% of the domestic pharmaceutical market.