Special Feature On     

Published: April 30, 2026
Updated: April 30, 2026

RPG Life Sciences

Living up to a 50-year pharma legacy

RPG Life Sciences, formerly known as Searle India, is a fundamentally strong and growth-oriented mid-size pharma company, with a legacy spanning over five decades, with its roots as a joint venture with GD Searle of the US. After Searle’s exit from India, the well-known industrial house of the RPG group acquired it and the company was rechristened RPG Life Sciences, carrying forward iconic brands and well-established R&D manufacturing and regulatory capabilities. Today, it is among the few mid-sized pharma firms with a strong presence across all three segments — domestic formulations, international formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients. With a mature organisation and deep domain expertise, the company combines commercial depth with strong operational execution.

Maintains Ashok Nair, Managing Director, “This execution is best reflected in how the company builds reliability in complex chemistry. Manufacturing at RPG Life Sciences is R&D-led and focused on translating multi-stage synthesis into consistent export-ready performance.” The API facility located at Turbhe (Maharashtra) in the Thane-Belapur industrial belt is designed to serve varied requirements. A strong in-house R&D team enables rapid tech transfer and scale-up by developing robust, well-characterised processes and sharper control strategies so that performance holds steady at a commercial scale. This is reinforced by stringent GMP systems, rigorous quality governance and a steadily strengthening digital layer across laboratory and documentation workflows, improving data integrity and keeping the organisation inspection-ready as a daily habit. With accreditations from stringent authorities such as TGA Australia and WHO-GMP, these operations are structured to demanding international expectations and deliver consistent supply that partners can trust.

C.S.R. WORK

Alongside this performance focus, RPG Life Sciences remains closely connected to the community around it through the RPG foundation, with clear priorities on health and livelihoods. Says Mr Nair, “Locally, we have run vision screening initiatives at nearby schools, enabling timely eye check-ups and providing spectacles to children who need them. In parallel, our ‘swayam’ health programme is building longterm economic resilience by helping women from the area. Together, these interventions reflect a CSR approach that is practical, outcome-led and rooted in the needs of the community we operate in.

According to Mr Nair, “Over the last few years, RPG Life Sciences has also translated its transformation agenda into outcomes that stand out. The business has grown ahead of the market with healthy momentum across all three segments, while profitability has strengthened through sharper execution and better quality of earnings. The balance sheet has been clean and healthy, and the company has moved to a debt-free position, building resilience for long-term ambition.”

SALES TREBLE

“ Over the last few years, RPG Life Sciences has also translated its transformation agenda into out comes that stand out. The business has grown ahead of the market with healthy momentum across all three segments, while profitability has strengthened through sharper execution and better quality of earnings. The balance sheet has been steadily fortified, the company has moved to a debt-free position, building resilience for longterm ambition. Across key financial ratios, RPGLS now ranks among the stronger midsize peers, reflected in meaningful value creation for stakeholders. It is progress we take pride in and intend to sustain.”