Hyderabad has emerged as Novartis’ biggest global R&D and corporate hub outside Switzerland. The facility now employs over 9000 experts, accounting for nearly 11 percent of the company’s global workforce.
The Hyderabad centre plays a key role in drug discovery, artificial intelligence, gene therapy, and global clinical trials. What began as a cost-focused Global Capability Center has evolved into a major global innovation hub.
Novartis is strengthening its presence in India by positioning Hyderabad as a core centre for biomedical research and drug development. It now ranks second only to the company’s headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.
The company has built a full-spectrum development and operations footprint in Hyderabad. The expansion to a 9000-strong workforce highlights the city’s growing importance in Novartis’ global strategy.
The Novartis Corporate Center (NOCC) in Hyderabad is the company’s largest corporate hub worldwide. It operates with an annual cost of about $400 million, underlining the scale of investment in the region.
This investment focuses on integrating science, digital platforms, finance, and technology. The goal is to drive transformation across Novartis’ global operations.
Teams based in Hyderabad contribute to every Novartis molecule that reaches late-stage development. Their work spans clinical operations, biostatistics, regulatory affairs, and advanced analytics.
Established nearly two decades ago, the NOCC was among the first Global Capacity Centers set up by a global pharmaceutical company in Hyderabad. The current expansion reflects Novartis’ sustained commitment to the city.
Today, Hyderabad teams support chemistry, analytics, data science, and clinical operations for global assets. They also work on advanced platforms such as radioligand therapy, xRNA, cell and gene therapies, and AI-driven protocol design.
The expansion of Novartis in Hyderabad is expected to have a wider impact. The development is also likely to influence sentiment in the Indian stock market.
