Next big leap in Indian pharma’s digital journey, AI-led automation takes centre stage: Archimedis Digital Report 

Archimedis Digital, a leading digital transformation partner for life sciences and healthcare organisations, released its flagship industry study, State of Digital Transformation in Indian Pharma 2025 (Quality Edition). It reveals a decisive yet uneven shift in how Indian pharmaceutical companies are approaching digitalisation.

India’s biopharmaceutical sector, one of the world’s largest suppliers of generic medicines and an increasingly important hub for novel drug research, is at a critical inflection point. Rising regulatory scrutiny, growing product and process complexity, and intensifying global competition are pushing companies to move beyond paper-based systems toward integrated, data-driven digital quality ecosystems. This transition, while still fragmented, signals the industry’s readiness to build a robust digital data foundation required for AI and ML-led quality transformation.

The report highlights that organizations adopting a holistic, outcome-focused digital strategy are already seeing measurable benefits (accelerated compliance, improved product-to-market velocity, enhanced decision-making, and greater operational agility), positioning them to compete more effectively in global markets.

Commenting on the findings, Duraisamy Rajan Palani, Founder and CEO at Archimedis Digital said “As life sciences companies confront increasingly complex regulatory environments, rising customer expectations and rapid technological change, digital transformation is no longer optional — it’s foundational for growth, resilience and competitive differentiation”.

Key insights from the report:

• Emerging technology priorities: Cloud, data analytics, automation, cybersecurity, and AI/ML are increasingly viewed as critical enablers of efficiency and quality excellence. The report reveals that a majority of Indian firms lie in the middle stages: approximately 55.6% are in partial implementation, while 33.3% have achieved significant or full digital transformation. Only 2.2% have not started, and 8.9% are in the planning phase.
• Enterprise-wide digital acceleration: Pharma organisations are gradually moving beyond siloed technology initiatives toward embedding digital capabilities within core business strategy. While over 88% have initiated digital QA/QC efforts, only a third have achieved enterprise-level maturity, highlighting the need for integrated transformation roadmaps.
• Shift from cost-cutting to quality outcomes: Digital transformation is evolving from a cost-reduction exercise to a strategic quality and compliance enabler. While 40% of organizations cite cost savings as a key benefit, there is growing recognition of digitalisation’s role in improving audit readiness, data integrity, and regulatory confidence.
• Organisational and workforce transformation: Demographic shifts and knowledge attrition are making knowledge centralisation and continuity critical priorities. The report underscores the importance of user-friendly, interoperable digital systems (particularly integrated QMS platforms) to enable faster onboarding, consistent training, and institutional knowledge retention.
• Managing rising product and process complexity: As drug development increasingly involves complex biologics, combination products, and stringent GMP requirements, legacy system limitations and integration challenges remain key barriers. Technologies such as electronic batch manufacturing records (eBMRs) and lab automation are emerging as foundational tools for managing complexity with greater precision and control.

Reinforcing the urgency of the shift, Duraisamy Rajan Palani added, “Digital transformation of quality in Indian pharma is no longer optional; it is imperative. Success goes beyond technology, requiring alignment of people, processes, and a culture of innovation. Companies that act decisively today will set tomorrow’s industry benchmarks, with the next phase of pharmaceutical progress built on intelligence, interoperability, and integrity. Our role is to empower companies with the tools, frameworks, and expertise needed to accelerate this shift-to move from fragmented digital efforts toward unified, predictive, and truly resilient quality ecosystems”.