Over 75% of the revenues of Ranbaxy, India's largest pharmaceutical company, come from markets outside India, of which the United States alone contributes more than half.

The domestic pharmaceutical market contributes little to the turnover.

But D S Brar, Ranbaxy CEO and Managing Director, is not apologetic about the decreasing importance of the Indian market in the company's bottomlines.

Brar says that developed countries make for a much better market for the pharma sector. "Our revenues in India will go down further. Europe and the US will drive our growth," he declares.

But that does not mean Ranbaxy is not trying to get a foot into other Asian countries. It has bought a 10% stake with a Japanese company that can be increased to 25% in the next five years.

While Asia may not be the targeted buyer for Indian pharmaceutical companies, Brar is confident that “in the next five years, India will control 30% of the world's generics market.”

D S Brar, Ranbaxy CEO, addressing the students at the ISB.