Pharmaceutical synergy with India

The COVID-19 pandemic and the medicine shortages that followed exposed a vulnerability shared by health systems everywhere: Access to essential medicines cannot be taken for granted. For Taiwan, an economy deeply integrated into global supply chains, pharmaceutical resilience is increasingly a matter of health security and national preparedness.

India is a logical partner. It has long been known for its strengths in generic medicines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), key starting materials (KSMs) and large-scale manufacturing. It is now seeking to move up the value chain, toward biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars, advanced manufacturing, research and innovation.

Taiwan offers different, but complementary capabilities: an advanced universal healthcare system, established regulatory institutions, clinical-research capacity and experience in digital health, quality management and real-world evidence generation.

That makes a strong case for deeper cooperation. Taiwan would gain more diversified access to India’s manufacturing capacity and pharmaceutical inputs, while India could work with Taiwan on regulatory science, clinical research, quality systems and biomedical innovation.

The relationship should be about more than India selling medicines or ingredients to Taiwan. It should be a partnership in both resilience and innovation.

The foundation already exists. According to India’s Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council, talks following the eighth India-Taiwan Working Group on Trade focused on the potential supply of 72 APIs from India to Taiwan. The council also reported Taiwanese interest in essential APIs approved in the US or Europe, and a proposed fast-track process for qualifying APIs.

India’s Department of Pharmaceuticals has invited Indian companies to express interest in cooperating with Taiwan on API and KSM manufacturing, pharmaceutical research and development, joint manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars, technology transfer and innovation partnerships.

There is a human dimension, too. Indian researchers working in Taiwan are contributing to biomedical and medical-technology research, showing how talent mobility and scientific exchange can support healthcare innovation alongside industrial cooperation.

There is a wider strategic reason to act now. Major economies are reassessing their pharmaceutical dependence and increasingly treat medicine supply chains as a health and economic security issue. The India-US TRUST — Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology — announced in February last year placed pharmaceuticals alongside semiconductors, critical minerals and advanced materials in their commitment to build “trusted and resilient supply chains.” The initiative specifically called for investment in manufacturing APIs for critical medicinesto diversify vital supply chains and reduce the risk of drug shortages.

A deeper Taiwan-India partnership would serve both sides while also contributing to a more diversified and resilient pharmaceutical ecosystem across the Indo-Pacific.

First, Taiwan and India should develop a critical-medicines framework. The two sides could identify the essential medicines, APIs and KSMs most important to healthcare preparedness, and set up channels for sharing supply-risk information, issuing shortage alerts and coordinating emergency supplies.

The goal is not to replace dependence on one source with dependence on another, but to diversify supply and create credible alternatives before the next public-health emergency or geopolitical disruption.

Second, regulatory cooperation should be strengthened. Where assessments, inspection records or quality documentation from respected overseas authorities already exist for Indian APIs and medicines, the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration could explore how to use that information more efficiently.

This would not mean automatic approval or lower Taiwanese standards. Taiwan should retain independent authority over quality, safety and efficacy. The aim is to reduce unnecessary duplication and give qualified Indian manufacturers a clearer, more predictable pathway into Taiwan.

Third, cooperation should go beyond APIs and generic medicines. Joint research, clinical trials, advanced manufacturing, biosimilars, digital health and regulatory science could support India’s shift toward innovation-led pharmaceutical growth while letting Taiwan contribute its own biomedical and regulatory strengths.

Traditional medicine could be an additional, longer-term field of collaboration. India’s Ayurveda ecosystem and Taiwan’s experience with traditional Chinese medicine offer scope for cooperation in research, pharmacopeial standards, product quality, safety and evidence generation. India has an established AYUSH policy framework, while Taiwan maintains formal quality standards for traditional Chinese medicines and herbal products.

Taiwan and India already have complementary strengths. India can offer manufacturing scale, access to pharmaceutical inputs and a fast-evolving innovation ecosystem. Taiwan can offer regulatory experience, healthcare governance, biomedical research and clinical capabilities.

By combining these strengths, the two sides can move beyond a conventional buyer-supplier relationship and build a pharmaceutical partnership that serves their health and economic interests. As resilient healthcare supply chains become a strategic priority worldwide, pharmaceutical resilience could become a central part of Taiwan-India cooperation.

Hanson Wu is a Taiwan-based healthcare policy professional with experience in pharmaceutical policy, health security and public affairs. He is a graduate researcher of healthcare policy at National Taiwan University.