Pharma’s industry 5.0 moment: Human + Machine, smarter together

As the global healthcare industry sprints toward smarter, personalised innovation, new technologies are reshaping pharma at an unprecedented pace. The healthcare AI opportunity alone is projected to touch nearly USD 350–410 billion by 2025, with applications across drug discovery, clinical trials, precision medicine, and operations.

Meanwhile, the market for digital twins—virtual replicas of plants, patients, and processes—is accelerating rapidly, set to expand from USD 1.4 billion in 2025 to nearly USD 6.8 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 25.7 percent.

Against this backdrop, Braj Panda, Head of Digital, Dr. Reddy’s, discusses how generics pharma is evolving from Industry 4.0 efficiencies to an Industry 5.0 reality—where human-centred AI, digital twins, and smart automation converge to produce medicines that are faster, greener, and more affordable, with patients at the core.

How do you define Industry 5.0, and what makes it different from Industry 4.0?

Industry 4.0 was automation and digitisation—using sensors, IoT, robotics, and AI to streamline processes and reduce inefficiencies. In pharma, this meant automated quality inspections, predictive maintenance, and reduced paperwork.

Industry 5.0 is collaborative. Intelligent systems don’t replace humans but augment their decision-making. For generics pharma, this translates into:

• AI-driven formulation design that lets scientists validate and adjust models instead of manually handling data.
• Digital twins that simulate plant improvements or regulatory responses before real-world execution.
• Hyper-personalised therapies where automated production scales to demand while human oversight ensures patient-centric outcomes.

In short, Industry 4.0 optimised processes, but Industry 5.0 re-humanises them—producing drugs faster, greener, and more responsibly.

“Industry 4.0 was automation-first. Industry 5.0 is human-first, intelligence-augmented.

What role do human–machine collaboration and AI play in shaping the future of pharma?

Human–machine collaboration blends computational speed with human judgment. Machines detect patterns in massive datasets, while humans provide ethics, context, and empathy.

For generics, this means:

• Drug development: AI predicts bioequivalence, scientists validate results.
• Manufacturing: Machine vision ensures micro-level quality, operators decide corrective actions.
• Supply chain: AI forecasts demand, planners refine with regulatory insights.

The outcome: faster formulations, lower cost per pill, and broader access.

How is Dr. Reddy’s aligning its digital transformation with Industry 5.0 principles?

We are combining intelligent automation with human-centric design. Digital twins, AI-driven quality analytics, and smart supply chains are being deployed—always keeping scientists, operators, and clinicians at the heart of decisions. Our focus is on efficiency, sustainability, resilience, and patient access.

What core technologies will be most critical to Industry 5.0 success?

•            AI/ML for predictive formulations, quality analytics, and supply chain modelling.

•            Robotics for sterile manufacturing, packaging, and inspection.

•            Digital twins to simulate plants, processes, and regulatory scenarios.

•            Edge AI for real-time analytics at shop floors, labs, and distribution points.

The real power lies in orchestrating these technologies for consistent quality, rapid scale-up, and responsible delivery of affordable medicines.

How can Industry 5.0 help pharma balance innovation, compliance, and patient safety?

Industry 5.0 fuses automation with human oversight. AI and digital twins accelerate R&D and manufacturing, but humans validate decisions to ensure compliance with FDA and EMA standards. Advanced analytics provide real-time visibility, reducing risks and improving audit readiness. This keeps patient safety at the centre while enabling faster approvals and broader access to safe medicines.

What new skills and mindsets will the workforce need?

The future workforce must be digitally fluent and human-centric. Beyond technical skills, people need:

•            Data literacy and cross-functional problem-solving.

•            Digital-first quality management.

•            Agility, continuous learning, and sustainability thinking.

Operators will evolve into “digital operators” interpreting AI insights, while scientists become “augmented innovators” leveraging computational models. The workforce of Industry 5.0 thrives by combining technical expertise with ethics and empathy.

How does Industry 5.0 contribute to sustainability and supply chain resilience?

Industry 5.0 creates intelligent, adaptive supply chains. AI-driven planning reduces waste and energy use, while digital twins simulate demand–supply scenarios for proactive response to disruptions. Robotics and edge AI minimise errors and rework. Human oversight ensures ethical sourcing. For generics, this ensures medicines reach patients reliably, even during crises, while meeting green manufacturing goals.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for the next 5–10 years of Industry 5.0 in pharma?

Pharma will become a human-centric, intelligence-driven ecosystem. AI and quantum simulations will accelerate discovery, while digital twins make operations predictive and adaptive. Manufacturing will go greener with circular economy principles. Compliance will be proactive, with transparent data flows trusted by regulators and patients alike.

Above all, patients will remain central—with affordable generics delivered faster, more reliably, and more responsibly. The focus will shift from scale-driven efficiency to responsible innovation at scale.

aanchalg@cybermedia.co.in