Transforming the CRDMO Landscape: How Jubilant Biosys Is Engineering Science-led, Integrated Drug Development

Download this Transformational Growth Leadership Discussion with Giuliano Perfetti, CEO & Managing Director, Jubilant Biosys Ltd.

As pharmaceutical innovation becomes more complex and timelines grow more compressed, sponsors are demanding more than capacity from their service partners. They are looking for integration, transparency, scientific depth, digital enablement, and above all, reliability.

In this Transformational Growth Leadership discussion, Giuliano Perfetti, CEO & Managing Director of Jubilant Biosys Ltd., speaks with Unmesh Lal, Vice President at Frost & Sullivan, about the company’s evolution from a discovery-focused CRO (Contract Research Organization) into a science-driven, globally integrated CRDMO (Contract Research, Development & Manufacturing Organization). Their conversation explores integration strategy, ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates) expansion, digital adoption, customer-centric business models, and the metrics that define long-term success.

From CRO to Integrated CRDMO: Building the Platform

Unmesh Lal: Giuliano, thank you again for taking the time to speak with us. To start, could you walk us through your journey at Jubilant Biosys and how the organization has evolved into an integrated CRDMO?

Giuliano Perfetti: Thank you, Unmesh. When I joined in 2021, Jubilant Biosys was already a well-established CRO operating across two strong lines: chemistry services in discovery and preclinical, and integrated drug discovery. In fact, it was one of the companies in India with the largest experience in delivering fully integrated drug discovery programs.

But the market was clearly asking for something more.

There is a strong need today to accelerate the time to market of medicines. Every time you move from drug discovery to preclinical, and then to clinical phase, you encounter potential transition points that can cause delays. So, the strategic vision, fully aligned with our board, was to build an end-to-end CRDMO platform capable of managing these transitions more seamlessly.

However, we strongly believe that integration only works if each vertical is excellent per se. If the pillars are weak individually, integration does not add value. So, we focused both on strengthening each capability independently and then ensuring they were well integrated.

Today, we have more than 2,500 employees, and of this, over the last four years we’ve added more than 1,300 scientists. That growth reflects the transformation we have undertaken.

The Three Pillars of Differentiation

Unmesh Lal: You have highlighted the integrated CRDMO model, which we’ve been tracking closely across the industry. What are the distinctive elements that define Jubilant Biosys’ transformation?

Giuliano Perfetti: There are three key elements.

The first is science and technical expertise. We don’t see this as a volume business; it is a value business. Customers don’t work with us because we simply have a large number of professionals. They work with us because we can solve problems. And to do that, scientific preparation and depth are fundamental.

The second is supported capability expansion. If you want speed, you must invest in automation, in infrastructure, in specialization. We expanded our Bengaluru site significantly for integrated Drug Discovery, we built additional infrastructure near our Noida site to support FFS (fee-for-service) smooth transition from discovery to preclinical. We are also completing a full set of automated DMPK (drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics) capabilities co-localized in our Greater Noida Chemistry campus.

The third element is differentiated offerings. We started with a strong backbone in small molecule, expanded into high-end chemistries such as lipid chemistry, fluorine chemistry, PROTAC (proteolysis-targeting chimeras) and photoredox. We want to compete globally, and that means mastering high-end technologies, not only standard ones.

But we refuse the marketing claim that we do everything. We do a few things, and we try to do them the best.

Making the CRDMO Model Real, Not Just Marketing

Unmesh Lal: That’s a powerful distinction. Many organizations claim to be fully integrated, but execution is what matters. How are you strengthening your CRDMO value proposition in practical terms?

Giuliano Perfetti: You are absolutely right. The CRDMO model can sometimes be perceived as a marketing tool. The first step for us was clarity: what can we really cover at a high level, and what can we not?

In small molecules, we have strong coverage and we manage the vast majority of chemical reactions. In new modalities, at this stage we cover ADCs and monoclonal antibodies in discovery.

Now, from an operational standpoint, the most critical areas are transition points.

The first major transition is from discovery to preclinical scale-up. To manage that effectively, we built a new dedicated site for a faster Scale -up near our Noida (New Delhi) campus. Infrastructure and specialization are key because the primary need here is speed.

The second transition is from preclinical to clinical. Here, we created dedicated tech transfer teams with experienced professionals. The idea is simple: the customer should not perceive this as their problem. It is our problem to solve.

Beyond that, there are what I call “hygiene factors” – Quality systems, HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment), IP protection, cybersecurity. These are non-negotiable. We created unified platforms across verticals to ensure compliance without compromise.

Transparency and the “Glass Factory” Philosophy

Unmesh Lal: From our discussions with sponsors, transparency and project management consistently rank as top priorities. How are you addressing this?

Giuliano Perfetti: We invested significantly in project management. We created a centralized global standard Project Management Organization, reporting directly to me. We have PMP (Project Management Professional)-certified professionals who manage kickoffs, milestones, and reporting.

Our philosophy is what we call a “glass factory.” If something happens, the customer is immediately informed, together with resolution points.

Customers often rely on CRDMOs from geographically distant locations. Transparency builds trust. And trust builds long-term partnerships and growth.

Digital and AI: Practical, Layered Adoption

Unmesh Lal: Digital transformation and AI adoption are major industry themes. How is Jubilant Biosys approaching this strategically?

Giuliano Perfetti: We prefer to do rather than talk about digital.

First, there is foundational infrastructure: ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, electronic lab notebooks. At our Greater Noida chemistry site, electronic notebooks are systematically deployed to enhance data collection.

We have also implemented digital safety surveillance systems. For example, webcams in fume hoods allow scientists to monitor reactions remotely, this is a valuable tool to increase the safety.

Second, in CDMO manufacturing, we applied AI/machine learning (ML) tools to our top five commercial products to analyze historical data and improve golden batch consistency.

Third, in discovery, we developed internal capabilities for molecular generation and ADME/PK (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion/Pharmacokinetics) prediction. Before scaling this, we benchmarked externally to ensure competitiveness.

However, we remain technology-agnostic. Innovation moves too fast to assume we can house everything internally. The true advantage is that our scientists are familiar with these tools. It has changed the mindset and allows us to collaborate effectively with AI-native biotech firms.

ADC Strategy: Depth Through Acquisition

Unmesh Lal: Let’s talk about ADCs, a rapidly growing space. Where does Jubilant Biosys position itself in the ADC value chain?

Giuliano Perfetti: ADCs have been a strategic focus for us for three years. After evaluating options, we acquired a former Pierre Fabre site in Saint-Julien, France.

The decision was talent-driven. The scientists there had deep ADC experience, including contribution to one of the first marketed ADCs and several late-stage programs. They had experienced both success and failure and in science, failure is equally important.

This site currently covers ADC drug discovery. In parallel, we are developing linkers and payload chemistry capabilities in India.

The market is evolving toward next-generation XDCs (X-drug conjugates), which require bioconjugation combined with various payload technologies: cytotoxic, protein degraders, oligonucleotides, peptides. With our Hybrid Model, combining the expertise from France and from India, we can offer XDCs ensuring a superior quality and pricing proposition.

Our strategic plan includes building a fully integrated ADC vertical: discovery through CDMO and finishing to meet market demand.

Expanding into New Modalities

Unmesh Lal: Beyond ADCs, are there other modalities you are exploring?

Giuliano Perfetti: Yes. In addition to XDCs we already covered, Biologics development in India is one area we are carefully evaluating. Peptides are another, where the need is increasingly about efficient manufacturing and delivery capability.

As a CRDMO with strong discovery presence, we have the advantage of sitting at the frontier of innovation. We pilot services at the discovery stage before committing to downstream investments.

Tailored Business Models for Biotech and Pharma

Unmesh Lal: Your client base includes both biotech and large pharma. Do you adopt differentiated engagement models?

Giuliano Perfetti: Absolutely.

Our heritage is biotech. Biotech projects are often equivalent to the company itself. So, we maintain a highly tailored, partnership-driven approach.

For large pharma, the structure is different, we call our approach Multicentric. But even within big pharma, each customer site around the world is treated as a unique customer.

Our pricing reflects the value we deliver and our unwavering commitment to quality and reliable execution. In selected collaborations, we also adopt milestone-based or performance-based models to align with our partners’ success.

Geographic Strategy and Group Synergies

Unmesh Lal: With operations in India and France, and group presence in the US, how do you leverage your geographic footprint?

Giuliano Perfetti: Our operations are in India and France, with sister companies operating in the US. While divisions are fully independent, cross-introductions happen when relevant.

Recent investments in India, especially in discovery and scale-up, have delivered strong returns. Having presence in multiple geographies is increasingly important in today’s environment.

India will play a pivotal role in the years ahead. Our Indian manufacturing site, with 20 years of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) production and full FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), EU, and PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) accreditation, further strengthens our CDMO positioning for global customers.

Measuring Success Beyond Revenue

Unmesh Lal: Beyond revenue, what KPIs (key performance indicators) do you rely on to measure long-term success?

Giuliano Perfetti: Customer satisfaction is fundamental. After each project, we conduct structured 360-degree reviews, scoring communication, delivery, logistics, and more. Feedback is internalized into CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) plans. It is similar to a modified Net Promoter Score.

Second is new customer acquisition. Particularly in discovery, we track how many new customers we onboard, even if revenue realization may come later.

Our Drug Discovery service line achieved double-digit growth over the past two years, driven by our strategy of integrated capabilities and strong partnerships

Leadership in Three Words

Unmesh Lal: If you had to describe Jubilant Biosys in three words, what would they be?

Giuliano Perfetti: Science-based. Strongly focused on customer needs. And focused on delivering innovation every day.

Looking Ahead

As pharmaceutical pipelines grow more complex and modalities diversify, CRDMO partners must evolve beyond capacity providers. They must become scientifically credible, digitally fluent, operationally disciplined, and deeply transparent collaborators.

Under Giuliano Perfetti’s leadership, Jubilant Biosys is executing a deliberate transformation, strengthening its scientific core, integrating strategically, investing selectively in new modalities like ADCs, and embedding transparency and digitalization into daily operations.

In a competitive and increasingly sophisticated CRDMO landscape, Jubilant Biosys’ growth story reflects a clear philosophy:

• Build depth before breadth.
• Integrate with discipline.
• Lead with science.
• And earn trust through execution.