Telangana bags $1 billion US' Eli Lilly investment, new Hyderabad hub to drive global drug supply

Hyderabad: American pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly is set to invest USD 1 billion in Telangana to expand its manufacturing and global medicine supply capacity, the state government said on Monday.

As part of the investment, the company will establish a new manufacturing and quality hub in Hyderabad, creating significant job opportunities across various roles. The announcement came after a global delegation from Eli Lilly met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu at the Integrated Command Control Centre on Monday.

The $1 billion investment underscores Eli Lilly’s growing interest in Telangana beyond global capability centers (GCCs), with plans to focus on developing new medicines for diabetes and obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.

Recruitment for the Hyderabad facility will begin immediately, with openings for engineers, chemists, analytical scientists, quality control and assurance professionals, and management personnel. The company is also planning contract manufacturing operations in Telangana for global supply.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy thanked the Eli Lilly delegation for choosing Telangana and assured full government support for the company’s expansion plans. He recalled Hyderabad’s origins as a pharmaceutical hub dating back to 1965, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi established the Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (IDPL) in the city.

“Indira Gandhi’s initiative in 1965 is the reason why Hyderabad stands as a hub of bulk drug manufacturing today. The city was also at the epicentre of Covid vaccine production on the global stage. Telangana means business. Hyderabad is a global city. Our government will support and welcome all industries looking to invest here,” said Revanth Reddy.

The Chief Minister also outlined the state’s vision to transform Telangana into a knowledge hub, announcing the establishment of a new Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) at Hyderabad’s Genome Valley to provide technical support to companies. He added that several renowned pharmaceutical industrialists have been inducted into the Board of Governors of the Young India Skills University in Hyderabad, chaired by Anand Mahindra.

Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said Eli Lilly’s expansion in Hyderabad is a testament to Telangana’s dynamic industrial ecosystem and its growing influence in advanced healthcare manufacturing.

Patrik Jonsson, Executive Vice President and President of Lilly International, said the investment reaffirms the company’s confidence in India as a hub for capability building within its global network.