Novartis India Limited Appoints Pharma Veteran Dr Vikas Gupta as MD, CEO
Mumbai: Dr Vikas Gupta has been appointed as new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Novartis India Limited. He assumed the role in July 2026 and will lead the company's strategic growth, commercial operations, and healthcare innovation initiatives.
Novartis India Limited (NIL) is a publicly listed pharmaceutical company in India and is part of ChrysCapital, India’s leading Private Equity firm. NIL has a long-standing presence in the Indian healthcare sector and is engaged primarily in the marketing, distribution, and sale of pharmaceutical products across key therapeutic areas. The company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India . Headquartered in Mumbai, NIL focuses on bringing innovative and established medicines to patients and healthcare professionals throughout India.
Dr Gupta brings more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with a career spanning leadership positions across major Indian and multinational drug companies.
Before joining Novartis India, Dr Gupta served as Chief Executive Officer at Alkem Laboratories from September 2023 to July 2026. Prior to that, he spent nearly six years at Cipla, where he held senior leadership roles including India Rx Head and Senior Vice President.
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A substantial part of his career was spent at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, where he served in multiple leadership positions over an eight-year period, including Senior Vice President - Chronic Care, Vice President, and General Manager. During his tenure, he was responsible for large-scale business operations across therapeutic areas such as anti-infectives, respiratory care, and metabolic disorders. He also led sizeable sales and marketing teams and managed businesses with significant revenue responsibilities.
Earlier in his career, Dr Gupta worked at Ranbaxy Laboratories, holding positions including Head Sales - Ranbaxy Solus, Senior Manager Marketing, Country Manager for Myanmar, and Senior Brand Manager. His international assignment in Myanmar involved overseeing business operations, managing profitability and revenue targets, coordinating with regulatory and distribution stakeholders, and leading cross-functional teams.
Dr Vikas Gupta began his career at GTB Hospital, which provided the early foundation for his journey in healthcare and pharmaceuticals
According to his professional profile, Dr Gupta has extensive expertise in business transformation, sales and marketing strategy, commercial leadership, brand development, and organizational growth. His experience includes business expansion, market development and leading growth initiatives across established pharmaceuticals businesses,
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