India's Wockhardt Group seeks strategic partnerships in Gulf
Indian pharmaceutical and biotech major Wockhardt Group is seeking strategic partnerships with healthcare providers and governments in the Gulf regionn to further expand its international presence in manufacturing and research initiatives.
'Our strategy in the Gulf market is focused on leveraging our expertise in research-driven pharmaceuticals and healthcare solutions rather than directly competing in the crowded space of clinics and hospitals,' said Dr. Habil Khorakiwala, founder and chairman, Wockhardt Group.
He was in Dubai to participate in the Global Justice, Love & Peace summit, the world's largest peace conference, at Expo City Dubai organised by 'I-am Peacekeeper' Movement and Wockhardt Foundation and supported by Wockhardt Group.
The Group, India's sixth largest drugmaker by revenue, is a research-based, global healthcare enterprise with relevance in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and super specialty hospitals.
'While our hospital division currently operates in India, our pharmaceutical and biotech arm has already established a strong foothold in the Gulf region. The Group has built a $40 million manufacturing facility in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai to produce antimicrobial drugs for sale globally. We can leverage this facility to serve as a hub for producing advanced therapies for global markets, including the GCC,' he said.
Khorakiwala said the Jebel Ali facility is a cornerstone of the company's mission to address the world's most pressing health threats from the heart of the Middle East.
'By supplying innovative drugs that reduce hospital stays and combat resistant infections, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the region's healthcare capacity and resilience," he said.
The Group is strengthening its partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, particularly in the UAE, to deliver innovative therapies that address critical healthcare challenges in the field of novel antibiotics and diabetes biosimilars.
Healthcare industry outlook in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is extremely positive, projecting healthcare expenditure to reach $159 billion by 2029, needing 12,317 new hospital beds in the UAE alone, said a recent industry report. The projected growth in healthcare expenditure and infrastructure in the GCC, particularly the UAE, presents a tremendous opportunity to improve access to quality care.
'We view this as a call to action to support the region's healthcare ecosystem with our cutting-edge pharmaceutical solutions. While we are not directly involved in building hospital beds, our focus on developing breakthrough antibiotics and chronic disease treatments, like those for diabetes, positions us to alleviate the burden on healthcare systems,' he said.
Wockhardt Hospitals' global footprint includes the US, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, and France. In India, the Group operates six super specialty hospitals.
The chairman said the Group, at present, is not looking to operate hospitals in the Gulf.
'Expanding our hospital footprint here is something we evaluate continuously, but our immediate focus is on enhancing our pharmaceutical presence — delivering novel antibiotics and diabetes treatments tailored to the region's needs — while exploring collaborations with local healthcare providers to serve the diaspora and broader population effectively," he noted.
(Reporting by Bhaskar Raj; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)
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