Cipla is positioning itself for continued expansion in fiscal year 2026, leveraging a strategic focus on GLP-1 therapies and peptide launches to offset the anticipated impact of generic Revlimid losing exclusivity. Managing Director & Global CEO Umang Vohra expressed confidence in the company's growth trajectory despite market headwinds.
"Despite, you know, what we're going to see with lenalidomide, the company is still aiming to grow beyond where it is today," Vohra stated during the company's post-earnings call. The pharmaceutical giant projects EBITDA margins for FY26 in the range of 23.5% to 24.5%, maintaining momentum from what Vohra described as a "blockbuster year in terms of margins" in FY25.
GLP-1 Market Entry Drives Growth Strategy
A cornerstone of Cipla's FY26 strategy centers on entering the lucrative GLP-1 market, particularly through semaglutide generics. "When semaglutide goes off patent in many of the countries next year, it's a huge opportunity," Vohra highlighted, identifying India as the "biggest opportunity for us, at least" for semaglutide launches.
The company plans global launches of semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs, "at least in the emerging side of the world, depending on the patent scenario," including markets in Africa and Southeast Asia. Vohra characterized the GLP-1 segment as "a product that comes once in a while in the pharma cycle," anticipating rapid uptake due to high patient awareness.
North American Pipeline Expansion
North America, representing 29% of Cipla's revenue with an all-time high of $934 million in FY25, will see growth fueled by the company's proprietary pipeline. Vohra pointed to "a couple of imminent launches that should come in," alongside the unlocking of the peptide pipeline and anticipated approvals for inhaler products in the latter half of H1 or early H2 FY26.
The company remains committed to launching 2-3 peptide assets in FY26 and expects to commercialize generic Advair during the fiscal year, with timing dependent on USFDA priorities. In FY25, Cipla filed 9 peptide and complex generic assets and 6 respiratory assets, including generic Symbicort and Qvar.
Strong Financial Foundation
Cipla's FY25 performance provides a solid foundation for future growth, with revenue reaching Rs 27,548 crore compared to Rs 25,774 crore in FY24. The company achieved its highest-ever profit of Rs 5,273 crore, with PAT margins increasing from 16% to 19%. EBITDA reached a record Rs 7,128 crore in FY25, up from Rs 6,291 crore the previous year.
The company announced a dividend of Rs 16 per equity share, including a special Rs 3 dividend celebrating its 90th anniversary, totaling Rs 1,050 crore in dividend payments to investors.
Domestic Market Leadership
Cipla's domestic business, contributing 42% of total revenue, crossed the Rs 11,000 crore mark with 7% growth in FY25. The company maintains its position as India's largest pharmaceutical company by volume, with 26 brands generating over Rs 100 crore annually and six wellness brands ranking first or second nationally.
For FY26, Cipla's priority is "to continue the growth momentum to be ahead of the market in both branded prescription and trade generics." Vohra anticipates the Indian pharmaceutical market to grow 8-10%, with Cipla aiming to outperform this benchmark.
Manufacturing and Innovation Investments
The company has significantly expanded manufacturing capabilities across facilities in India and North America. Current capacity includes 32.15 billion units of tablets and capsules, 679 million units of respules, and 48.3 million units of oral liquid. Facility expansions in Goa, Indore, Patalganga, and Bommasandra will increase production capacity from 2.6 million to 39 million units.
Cipla's intellectual property portfolio grew to 79 registered patents globally, with 22 new patents granted and 20 applications filed in FY25. The company launched 133 products globally during the fiscal year.
R&D investments will continue focusing on respiratory, injectables, and products for the Indian market, including GLP-1s, with overall spend not expected to exceed 6-6.5% of annual revenue. The company maintains a market capitalization of Rs 1.22 trillion and operates in over 80 countries worldwide.
