Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel (born 16 March 1953) is an Indian billionaire businessman, and the chairman of Zydus Lifesciences, the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India.
In October 2024, Patel was ranked 24th on the Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, with a net worth of $10.2 billion.
[6] Patel, in 1976 after graduation, joined the firm Cadila Healthcare, which was founded by his father in 1952 to make vitamins.
[9] They also make a tablet named Aten (Atenolol) which is used as a medication to control blood pressure.
The Sugar-Free brand created by Zydus Wellness has proved to be ubiquitous sugar substitute[5] and Everyuth face wash also propelled the company to newer heights.
[citation needed] The company under his leadership grew to be the fifth largest drugmaker in India with operations in 70 countries worldwide.
They formed an alliance with German biotech firm Pieris Pharmaceuticals for developing and marketing a new class of protein therapeutics.
[13] Zydus was the first to file to sell a generic version of Shire PLC's $1.1 billion ulcer drug, Lialda, in the U.S and the FDA had awarded it six months of exclusivity.
[15] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Patel ramped up production to become one of the largest suppliers of hydroxychloroquine and also came out with a variant of in-demand drug Remdesivir.
Patel has been appointed as the Part Time Non-official Director in Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India for a period of four years.
[18][20][21] He is a member of several other organisations including Invest India, Mission Steering Group (MSG), the highest policy-making and steering body constituted under the National Health Mission (NHM), and Drug Technical Advisory Board by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
[15] He also is a member of many prestigious societies including Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Export Promotion Council, and Gujarat Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
[10] Patel was named the "Best Pharma Man of the year 2003" by the Foundation of Indian Industry and Economists[23][12] in recognition of the growth of Cadila under his leadership.
[8] Their son Dr. Sharvil Patel is managing director of Cadila Healthcare Ltd.,[28] and is married to Meha.