IPA members commit $50 million to set up pharma skilling academy PAGE

IPA member firms have committed $50 million to launch PAGE, an industry-led academy to boost pharmaceutical manufacturing skills, quality systems and regulatory compliance in India

Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) member companies have earmarked $50 million to establish the Pharmaceutical Academy for Global Excellence (PAGE), an industry-led national skilling initiative aimed at strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality excellence.

 

The foundation stone of the academy was laid at Sanathal near Ahmedabad by Union home affairs and cooperation minister Amit Shah, in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, senior industry leaders and government officials. 

Conceived as a collective effort by IPA’s 23 member companies, PAGE is designed to address skill gaps across pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality systems and regulatory compliance, as India seeks to sustain its position as a globally trusted supplier of medicines.

 

Speaking at the event, Amit Shah said the pharmaceutical sector is a strategic national asset and PAGE would strengthen domestic capabilities through advanced skilling and industry–academia collaboration. He said the initiative aligns with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, as India moves from “Make in India” to “Discover and Make in India”, with quality and innovation as key pillars.

 

The PAGE academy will function as a practical, industry-aligned training platform, catering to fresh graduates, shopfloor operators, MSME employees and working professionals. It aims to make freshers industry-ready while enabling existing professionals to reskill and upskill in line with evolving global regulatory and manufacturing requirements.

 

IPA leaders said the academy will follow a hub-and-spoke model, beginning with Ahmedabad and expanding over time to major pharmaceutical clusters such as Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Madhya Pradesh. The curriculum is aligned with the National Education Policy, with an emphasis on experiential learning, modular certifications and strong industry integration.

 

Satish Reddy, executive council member, IPA, and chairman, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, said continuous upskilling has become essential as technologies evolve and regulatory scrutiny increases globally. PAGE, he said, aims to build a workforce that treats quality as a system and compliance as a culture, helping Indian companies meet the highest international standards.

 

The event also marked 25 years of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance and the launch of the India Pharma Archives, developed in collaboration with the IIM Ahmedabad Archives.

 

Sharvil Patel, president, IPA, and managing director, Zydus Lifesciences, said PAGE represents the industry’s collective commitment to building long-term manufacturing and quality capabilities, as the sector targets a market size of $120 billion by 2030 and $400 billion by 2047, as the Indian pharmaceutical industry is expected to become the number one in the world by volume and among the top five in terms of value.