Four key Asian markets witnessed nearly 200 life science company listings over the past 10 years, with China dominating the scene and expected to stay ahead, along with Hong Kong, for the foreseeable future. But India could prove a new contender over time as firms move up the value chain, a new report shows.

A recent round table on pharma industry trends has highlighted the hunger of cash-rich Indian firms for acquiring companies with niche portfolios in regulated markets including the US. Innovator companies shedding their generic units also present significant opportunities for Indian firms. Both trends are expected to build amid apparent Indian interest in the Teva-Allergan divestiture in Europe.

Dr Reddy’s signals a sharp step up in ambitions at home, propelled by building leadership in 10 therapy segments and an “India-first” approach for specialty products. Uptick in the China business and the potential launch of a Russia-partnered COVID-19 vaccine were other aspects of the business discussed at JPM.