Hyderabad has emerged as a prominent global centre of Life Sciences manufacturing activity in India, real estate consulting firm CBRE said.
Driving the popularity is Genome Valley, near the city, home to more than 200 biotech and pharmaceutical companies from 18 countries. Six of the world’s top 10 research and development companies have facilities at the organised cluster, near the city.
Hyderabad also plays host to at least 20 life sciences and medical technology incubators, the highest such concentration in India. From drug discovery to clinical research and large-scale manufacturing, the Life Sciences ecosystem in and around Hyderabad supports diverse operations, CBRE said in its ‘Global Life Sciences Atlas’ report.
The growing prominence of the Life Sciences industry has significantly impacted the growth of real estate development globally, with more than 35 million sq.ft of lab/research and development properties under construction last year. While U.S. markets figure at the top in terms of the world’s largest Life Sciences R&D centres, Hyderabad with Beijing, Shanghai, Greater Tokyo in Asia-Pacific; Canada (Toronto, Montreal) and Europe (Cambridge, U.K., Paris) are the other mainstays.
In India, gross office leasing space by Life Sciences firms increased by around 56% year on year to 5.8 million sq.ft in 2024, the highest ever.
On factors behind Hyderabad shaping into a hub, CBRE in the report that profiled some of the world’s most important Life Sciences hubs cited Telangana government’s progressive governance and strategic public-private partnerships as well as policy initiatives. Hyderabad accounts for nearly one-third of the country’s pharmaceutical production, one-fifth of the pharmaceutical exports and one-third of global vaccine output. Increased foreign direct investment, enhanced manufacturing capabilities, cost-effective talent pool and greater emphasis on R&D have contributed to the growth of the sector in Hyderabad.
Describing Genome Valley as a shining example of how strategic planning and public-private collaboration can create a thriving ecosystem for innovation and scale, Chairman and CEO of CBRE for India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa Anshuman Magazine said as India’s life sciences industry gains unprecedented momentum, Hyderabad is at the heart of the transformation.
Globally, leading hubs such as Boston- Cambridge, the San Francisco Bay Area, Beijing, Shanghai and Cambridge (UK) are shaping the next wave of life sciences growth. In the Asia-Pacific region, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, and Greater Tokyo have emerged as the largest markets for life sciences labs and R&D space.
“The Asia-Pacific region is at the forefront… leading global life sciences construction activity. Notably, China currently exhibits the highest volume of ongoing laboratory construction worldwide, while India is establishing itself as a compelling hub for life sciences manufacturing,” Head of Research -APAC of CBRE Ada Choi said.
Published – May 14, 2025 07:28 pm IST
