Notes from a self-made industrialist.
First-person essays on regulated API manufacturing, iodine chemistry, chiral resolving agents, audit-ready operations and the patient capital it takes to build a fine-chemicals company from Anand.
The next decade of Indian API manufacturing — what we plan to revolutionise from Anand
China-plus-one, PLI, the rise of complex generics, and the operating bets a small Indian API manufacturer has to place to be relevant in 2035.
Building a WHO-GMP API plant from a Tier-2 base — what we learned
A first-person walkthrough of the plant-design choices that determine whether a small Indian API manufacturer becomes audit-ready or stays a job-shop forever.
Revolutionising Indian iodine chemistry — the playbook from Laksh Finechem
Iodine derivatives are the under-discussed corner of the chemistry supply chain. Here is how we are positioning Anand to be the global Indian iodine hub over the next decade.
Contrast agents and the next decade of medical imaging — an Indian manufacturer's view
Gadodiamide, Gadobutrol and beyond — why Indian regulated-API manufacturers should be the global supplier of choice for medical imaging chemistry over the next ten years.
Iodine chemistry in India — the under-discussed strategic supply chain
From 1-Iodo Octane to potassium iodide to specialty iodine derivatives — why this small corner of the chemical industry matters more than most people realise.
The PLI Bulk Drugs scheme — what worked, what didn't, and what comes next
An operator's view of India's flagship pharmaceutical incentive programme — three years in, what the scheme actually achieved, where it missed, and what version 2.0 needs to do differently.
Continuous-flow API synthesis — the manufacturing revolution Indian pharma cannot ignore
Why batch chemistry will not be the dominant Indian API manufacturing mode in 2035 — and what disciplined operators are doing today to be ready.
Chiral resolving agents — why tartrates still matter in 2026
A primer on the chiral chemistry segment Laksh Finechem has worked in for years — diethyl L tartrate, diisopropyl L tartrate and where Indian manufacturers genuinely compete.
Why I keep the plant in Anand — not Ankleshwar, not Mumbai
An honest take on why running a regulated pharma manufacturer from Anand is the right operating decision in 2026 — and why Charotar deserves more credit than it gets.
Winning your first regulated export customer — what most Indian SMEs get wrong
Operational advice for first-generation Indian pharma and fine-chemicals founders preparing for their first regulated international audit and first export order.
Handing over a regulated pharma family business to the next generation
First-generation founders in Indian pharma and chemicals face a unique succession challenge — handing over a regulated, audit-heavy operating business. What works, what doesn't.