AI-Driven Strategy: How AI Is Reshaping the Future of Pharma Business Models
From pilots to platforms, this Fireside Chat reveals how the pharma industry is embracing AI at scale. Agilisium joins voices from Regeneron, AWS, Everest Group and NASSCOM to unpack the transformation.
.jpg)
Fifteen months ago, pharma leaders were cautiously exploring the potential of Generative AI. Today, AI is no longer an afterthought, it is rapidly becoming the foundation for new business models across life sciences.
This shift was at the heart of a high-impact Fireside Chat hosted by T-Hub, in association with Agilisium. Moderated by Lokesh Bhagchand, Chief Operating Officer at Agilisium, the panel featured industry voices from Regeneron, AWS, Everest Group, and NASSCOM. Together, they unpacked how pharma organizations are evolving from pilots to platforms and from automation to autonomy.
From Use Cases to Strategy
AI has moved beyond isolated experiments. Today, pharma organizations are embedding it across R&D, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercial operations.
Rajiv Onat, India Head, Digital Technology and Engineering at Regeneron, spoke about their enterprise-wide initiative:
“To truly scale AI, you have to decentralize and democratize it. It can’t remain siloed. AI needs to become a core skill set across every function, just like digital literacy. It’s not about replacing humans, but empowering humans who use AI effectively.”
- Rajiv Onat, Regeneron
Algorithms as Strategic Advantage
AI is now being treated as intellectual property on par with drug molecules.
Chunky Satija, Vice President, Life Sciences Technology at Everest Group, emphasized how pharma’s competitive edge is shifting:
“Pharma companies are no longer just competing on molecules—they’re now competing on algorithms. AI is emerging as intellectual property, and in many cases, it’s becoming just as critical as the drug itself.”
- Chunky Satija, Everest Group
Governance: The Foundation of Responsible AI
Responsible scaling is vital in a highly regulated industry. While regulators are still catching up, companies are proactively establishing internal guardrails.
Praveen Mokkapati, Director of NASSCOM AI, explained the importance of foundational maturity:
“Responsible AI can’t wait for regulation. Maturity assessment toolkits and developer-level playbooks help organizations understand where they stand and how to build trustworthy AI systems. Without these foundations of awareness and accountability, businesses risk falling behind—and, in some cases, losing trust altogether.”
- Praveen Mokkapati, NASSCOM
The Cloud as an AI Enabler
The cloud is essential to managing AI workloads, ensuring scalability, and enabling experimentation without risk.
Sandeep Kumar, Head of Technology Partners, India & SAARC at AWS, emphasized business alignment:
“If you’re not bold enough to move fast, someone cloud-native will disrupt you. That’s why AI strategy must be tightly integrated with your business strategy. It’s not about chasing every trend it’s about aligning your investments in cloud, data, talent, and partnerships to deliver real impact.”
- Sandeep Kumar, Amazon Web Services
Real-World Applications Already Making Impact
The discussion showcased how AI is actively transforming:
- Forecasting and inventory optimization
- Time-to-market in seed and pharma development
- Health insurance policy navigation
- Cell and gene therapy coordination
"AI was always there; what was missing was language. With the rise of large language models and agentic AI, we’re no longer just giving machines capabilities, we’re finally giving them a reason to exist. We are defining purpose-driven intelligence, and that’s what will take AI to the next level."
- Lokesh Bhagchand, Chief Operating Officer, Agilisium
Conclusion: From Promise to Transformation
The conversation made one thing clear AI is no longer experimental. It is mission critical.
The industry is moving decisively from "Can AI help us?" to "How fast can we scale AI to transform every part of our business?" But success will hinge on more than just technology. It will require deep investment in people, thoughtful governance, cross-functional collaboration, and a long-term mindset.
Pharma companies that stay grounded in strategy, aligned with patient impact, and bold in execution will lead the next era of innovation.
At Agilisium, we are proud to stand with life sciences leaders on this journey empowering them to move from insight to action with the right blend of technology, talent, and trust.
Together, we are not just adopting AI, we are redefining what is possible!
%20(7).png)
%20(5).avif)
.avif)
