Amgen to Invest $200 Million in India, Betting Big on AI-Driven Drug Discovery

SmartCom APP learned that Robert Bradway, CEO of Amgen (AMGN.US), a U.S. biotech giant, said on Monday at the inauguration ceremony of a large base in Hyderabad, India, that the company would invest approximately $200 million this year into its newly built technology center located in southern India, with plans to increase investment further in the future.

Amgen announced last year that it would establish a "Technology and Innovation" center in the Indian market, focusing on strengthening the application of artificial intelligence and data science in the development of new drugs, fully leveraging India's vast IT talent pool. Building an ultra-large-scale AI drug discovery digital twin system based on "AI+" by utilizing the IT talent pool is expected to significantly shorten the new drug development cycle, which is also why the "AI Healthcare" sector in global stock markets has recently seen a significant rise.

"AI+", short for "Artificial Intelligence+", represents the cutting-edge concept of deeply integrating the "AI large models/generative AI applications/AI agents" led by tech giants like OpenAI into various industries, accelerating innovation and driving productivity transformation.

The deep integration of generative AI with the healthcare/pharmaceuticals/biopharmaceuticals fields has significantly driven positive R&D progress across various subfields, particularly in drug discovery, gene editing, disease diagnosis, patient monitoring, and medical imaging analysis. By 2025, a large number of breakthrough research outcomes with significant commercial potential related to "AI + healthcare" are expected to emerge. Demis Hassabis, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate, even made a bold statement: it is highly likely that some AI-designed drugs will enter clinical trials before the end of this year. Hassabis explained that his company, Isomorphic Labs, is focused on reducing the drug development process from ten or more years to just "weeks or months."

Amgen CEO Bradway said, "We have long sought to expand Amgen's presence in India, and now the time has come. Amgen will invest an initial $200 million into the center in 2025 and plans to make significant additional investments in the coming years."

Amgen India's national executive president, Som Chattopadhyay, said that the large base located in Hyderabad is expected to have about 2,000 employees by the end of the year, with nearly 300 employees already onboard.

This week, the BioAsia biotechnology conference will also be held in Hyderabad, where senior executives from global multinational pharmaceutical companies such as Amgen, Eli Lilly (LLY.US), Novartis (NVS.US), and several Indian pharmaceutical giants will deliver speeches.

Amgen is one of many global pharmaceutical companies seeking to expand into the Indian market, which has long been known as the "pharmacy of the world."

After U.S. President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi talked this month, the two countries agreed to initiate negotiations on an early trade agreement to resolve tariff disputes between them.

"The important outcome of the talks between the two sides is the launch of the U.S.-India Trust Initiative, which promotes cooperation in critical and emerging technologies — an area where the two countries are in urgent need," said Jennifer Larson, the U.S. Consul General in Hyderabad.

"Amgen's decision to expand its footprint here is an excellent example of the two countries working together to harness the synergies of innovation, talent, and technology."

However, Trump's plan to impose a "25% or higher" tariff on global pharmaceutical imports could severely impact Indian pharmaceutical companies, as most of their generic drug manufacturers consider the U.S. as their largest market.