Pharma Stalwarts Join Hands to Launch the Story of Desh Bandhu Gupta, Founder of Lupin

The book chronicles how India transitioned from near-total dependence on imported medicines to becoming the world’s pharmacy. It highlights how Gupta’s early life, shaped by adversity and absence of privilege or patronage, forged the resilience and ambition required to navigate an unforgiving regulatory environment, align national healthcare priorities with global quality benchmarks, and build a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical enterprise whose medicines today reach patients in over 120 countries.

Made in India captures the remarkable journey of a village boy from Rajasthan who went on to become a teacher, professor, and pharmaceutical employee before founding Lupin, now valued at around $10 billion. The narrative details how an unlikely entrepreneur challenged entrenched systems, left the security of teaching and pharma jobs, and went on to build a company that would not only become a global generics leader but also help shape India’s pharmaceutical ecosystem.

Written with candour, the book confronts failures, financial crises, and the personal toll of leadership alongside achievement and success. Sabharwal and Khanna present a grounded account of institution-building—how organisations are built slowly, tested severely, and rebuilt with resolve. Through vivid anecdotes, the book traces Desh Bandhu Gupta’s transformation from a humble professor to a pharma titan, driven by a deep commitment to addressing unmet healthcare needs.

The book also spotlights the pivotal role played by Manju Gupta, Desh Bandhu Gupta’s wife, during the trials and triumphs of building Lupin. Together, the couple invested in community service and rural support programmes, even as Lupin and India emerged as reliable global suppliers of pharmaceuticals.

Placing Lupin’s story in a broader national context, Made in India underscores India’s position as a global pharmaceutical powerhouse. Nearly half of the 400 billion pills consumed annually in the United States are manufactured in India, while around 60 per cent of the world’s vaccines are produced in the country. Of the approximately 700 US Food and Drug Administration-approved factories supplying medicines to the US, nearly one-third are located in India.

The book acknowledges the contributions of India’s pharma pioneers—Dr. Yusuf Hamied (Cipla), Anji Reddy (Dr. Reddy’s), Parvinder Singh (Ranbaxy), Dilip Shanghvi (Sun Pharma), Ramanbhai Patel (Zydus-Cadila), Habil Khorakiwala (Wockhardt), and Desh Bandhu Gupta (Lupin)—noting that their impact extends beyond revenues or exports. Together, they dismantled the myth that multinational corporations hold insurmountable advantages and demonstrated that a developing nation can dominate a complex, highly regulated industry when entrepreneurship meets smart policy.

The book came alive during its launch, where the authors and publisher shared their journeys, followed by a panel discussion on the “Past and Future of Indian Pharma.” The panel featured Dilip Shanghvi (Sun Pharma), Dr. Yusuf Hamied (Cipla), G.V. Prasad (Dr. Reddy’s), Vinita Gupta (Lupin), and Prof. M. M. Sharma, former UDCT-ICT professor. Discussions centred on leadership, nation-building, and the pharmaceutical industry’s role in making healthcare affordable and accessible globally.

Industry leaders offered strong praise for the book.

Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharma said, “DBG was a visionary whose heart beat for India and for Indian patients. His relentless focus on excellence defined his personality. He was a remarkable role model for all of us and one of the true architects who helped shape India’s journey to becoming the pharmacy to the world”.

Yusuf Hamied of Cipla said, “DBG built Lupin from extremely modest beginnings, guided by determination and a deep commitment to serving patients. DBG’s life story is not only inspiring, but also a reminder of how one individuals purpose can make healthcare accessible and affordable across the world”.

Made in India is positioned as a book for readers thinking about India’s place in the world, entrepreneurs seeking inspiration on building enduring institutions, and young Indians and their families looking to nurture ambition, resilience, and determination.

Lupin Limited is a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Mumbai, with products distributed in over 120 markets. The company operates across branded and generic formulations, complex generics, biotechnology products, and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Lupin has a strong presence in India and the US across therapy areas including respiratory, cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, anti-infective, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and women’s health. It operates 15 manufacturing facilities and seven research centres globally, supported by a workforce of over 24,000 professionals. Lupin is committed to improving patient health outcomes through its subsidiaries Lupin Diagnostics, Lupin Digital Health, and Lupin Manufacturing Solutions, while the Lupin Human Welfare and Research Foundation has impacted over 2.02 million beneficiaries across 5,400 villages in eight states.