A recent study based on the analysis of intellectual property generated by Indian CROs suggests a rather discouraging outlook of drug discovery in India. While this is a matter of concern for all, the study does not take into account contract research in preclinical biology and this is where I believe lies a huge opportunity for us. There are only a handful of CROs in India focusing on translational research. With immense potential and capabilities, I believe next few years will witness Indian CROs making a bigger contribution to global drug development.

In the coming year, Dabur Research Foundation (DRF) will strengthen its expertise in the area of human adult stem cells. We will continue to add to our repertoire of animal-free models for evaluating cosmetics. Last but not the least, with the Indian guidelines for developing botanical products round the corner, DRF is well positioned to carry out end-to-end development of botanical products leading to an IND filing.

- Dr Manu Jaggi, vice president (R&D), Dabur Research Foundation

Anthem is on a tremendous growth path at the moment and we expect to see that continuing in the coming year. Our industry is experiencing tough conditions, brought on by the continuing turmoil in big pharmaceutical companies and poor economic health of western economies. Europe is rocking back on its heels, Japan is moribund and the US is in pretty bad shape too. I see a tough environment for new players. Anthem however, has had five years to consolidate its position and we will surpass 50 percent growth this year. We have built a reputation of being a delivery oriented contract research player. We expect this momentum to carry through and make Anthem companies even more sizable players in our space.

The Indian economy should pick up growth and we see a tremendous boost in our business which is domestically focused. We have made new investments in laboratories, manufacturing and products development. With these investments coming on stream in 2013 we expect a significant multiplier effect. In my view the established players should get bigger but the space will continue to be tough for new entrants or "me too" companies.

-Mr Ajay Bharadwaj, CEO, Anthem Biosciences

We believe that early stage drug development in the form of chemistry/biology outsourcing will continue to grow in 2013. CRO's with integrated capabilities and co-located chemistry/biology laboratories would benefit from this trend. At TCG Lifesciences (TCGLS), we have created a highly efficient and economic "innovation engine" with a demonstrated ability to run Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) loops in a "faster-cheaper-better" manner. Furthermore, CRO's with domain specialization and technology platforms will have a larger role to play in this innovation process.

At TCGLS, we have geared ourselves to become a preferred partner for our pharma/biotech clients in the therapeutic areas of pain, inflammation and CNS disorders. This has enabled us to deliver 4 preclinical candidates in 2011-12 and other successful stage gate advancements in 2012-13. We will continue to build deeper domain expertise and multi-disciplinary specialist teams to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. We are also broadening our service domains in the high growth segments of crop science, nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and animal health.

- Mr Swapan Bhattacharya, managing director, TCG Lifesciences

I believe that 2013 will be a defining year for us as well as the Indian bioscience industry when much of what was discussed and debated in 2012 will come to fruition. Quintiles India's plans are closely aligned with these developments which include:

Significant growth in peri-clinical services. The dynamics of the changing biopharma industry and growing recognition of the transformational role data-driven services can play in driving value for customers is a big opportunity for us. We are uniquely positioned to offer customers solutions that are derived from 30 years of global healthcare expertise and highly evolved technology skills and will continue to build on the strong foundation of data-driven services we offer from India.

Continued growth in the domestic biopharma sector. In 2012, the mix of domestic biopharma companies in our portfolio grew and we see this trend continuing in 2013. Indian customers are looking to partner with firms who can support not just their global growth aspirations but also those who have relevant knowledge of emerging markets, including deep subject matter and regulatory expertise.

The biosimilars segment is another big opportunity for us at Quintiles India. Much has been said about the potential of India in biosimilars development. With the Indian biosimilars regulatory framework now in place, we will see a lot more biosimilars development in India which will augur well for organizations such as ours who have strong biosimilars expertise, understanding of the prescriber pool, access to patients and experience in diverse regulatory environments.

Finally, I believe 2013 will see a strengthening of the regulatory environment for clinical research in India. This has been an area of much debate in 2012 which will hopefully result in a more robust and well-defined policy framework in 2013.

- Mr Anil Raghavan, managing director, Quintiles India