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Unichem Laboratories

Overview

Unichem Laboratories is an Indian pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company is engaged in the manufacture and marketing of formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), with operations spanning domestic and international markets. Its shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.

Key facts

Type Public company
Industry Pharmaceuticals
Founder Amrut Mody
Headquarters Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Country India
Products Formulations, active pharmaceutical ingredients
Listings BSE, NSE

Background

Unichem was founded by Amrut Mody, a pioneer in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. The firm grew through the second half of the twentieth century alongside the wider development of indigenous drug manufacturing in India, building a portfolio of branded formulations across cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, anti-infective, gastrointestinal, neuropsychiatric, and pain management therapeutic areas.

Manufacturing and research

The company operates manufacturing facilities in India producing both finished dosage forms and APIs. Its plants have catered to regulated and emerging markets, supplying tablets, capsules, and other dosage forms. Unichem also maintains research and development activities focused on formulation development and process chemistry for APIs.

Operations

Unichem's business is broadly organised into:

  • Domestic formulations: branded prescription products marketed to Indian healthcare professionals.
  • International formulations: generic finished dosage forms exported to multiple geographies.
  • Active pharmaceutical ingredients: bulk drugs supplied to other formulators in India and abroad.

Divestment of domestic formulations

In a significant restructuring, Unichem Laboratories sold its domestic branded formulations business in India and Nepal to Torrent Pharmaceuticals. Following the transaction, Unichem refocused its operations on the international generics business and the API segment, while retaining its manufacturing infrastructure to support these activities.

Significance

As one of the older Indian-owned pharmaceutical companies, Unichem has been part of the country's transition from being a net importer of medicines to a major global supplier of generics. Its founder, Amrut Mody, is recognised among the early entrepreneurs who built indigenous capability in pharmaceutical manufacturing in India.

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