Overcoming Innovation Limits through Outward FDI: The Overseas Acquisition Strategy of Indian Pharmaceutical Firms

A host of strategic government policies including a process patent regime led to the rise of Indian pharmaceutical firms with significant process development capabilities. With policies getting liberalized overtime and a product patent regime in place, now firms’ survival crucially depends on their abilities to develop new products and brand creating exercise. Indian pharmaceutical firms with their inadequate product development capabilities are clearly at serious risk. In this context, an increasing number of Indian pharmaceutical firms are observed to be using acquisition as a strategy to overcome their limited innovation strength by accessing new products and their technologies, skills and new markets. Overseas acquisitions represent both challenges and opportunities for Indian pharmaceutical firms aspiring to emerge as global entities based on advance technologies.