U.S. pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb is significantly expanding its research and development operations in India. The company aims to make its newly inaugurated $100 million facility in Hyderabad its largest R&D center outside of the United States by 2025.
The Hyderabad site, which was officially opened by CEO Christopher Boerner earlier this this year, is expected to eventually employ over 1,500 professionals. It will leverage digital technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance Bristol Myers Squibb’s drug development capabilities across therapeutic areas such as cancer, blood disorders, and cardiovascular disease.
Boerner highlighted the Hyderabad center’s importance in his keynote speech at the BioAsia conference, emphasizing the company’s plans to use AI to accelerate the development of next-generation cell therapies for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, adding that it plans to make these more widely available globally, including in markets such as India.
In addition to Hyderabad, the company has an existing R&D partnership center with Biocon Group’s Syngene International in Bangalore. Across its Indian operations, Bristol Myers Squibb currently has 17 ongoing clinical trials testing new drug candidates. While its cell therapies Abecma and Breyanzi are not yet approved in India, the firm does market other cancer medicines such as Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) in the country.
The expansion in India comes as Bristol Myers Squibb is working to replenish its pipeline ahead of looming patent expirations for key products later this decade, including the blockbuster anticoagulant Eliquis and immunotherapy Opdivo. The company announced a series of licensing deals and acquisitions in late 2022 to access external innovation.
The investment in India’s Hyderabad underscores Bristol Myers Squibb’s commitment to an enhanced global R&D footprint and India’s growing importance as a strategic location for pharmaceutical research productivity.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
