Made In India

India’s pharmaceutical revolution, the rise of Lupin, and the extraordinary life of its founder, Desh Bandhu Gupta (DBG), intertwine to tell the story of how a nation once dependent on imported medicines transformed into the world’s pharmacy. The book follows DBG’s remarkable journey, beginning with a childhood marked by hardship—after fracturing his ankle, he endured a three-hour journey on his father’s shoulders to the nearest hospital, only to be left with a permanent limp that forged his resilience. Growing up without privilege, electricity or even a toilet, he trained as a chemist, taught school, became a professor, was fired from BITS Pilani, worked in corporate India, and eventually took the daring step into entrepreneurship despite overwhelming odds. What set him apart was not bravado but patience, discipline and an unwavering commitment to quality, even during the Licence Raj, when he spent weeks waiting outside government offices, refusing shortcuts that compromised ethics. This philosophy shaped Lupin from the beginning, ensuring trust and manufacturing excellence were valued over speed or profit. Today, Lupin is a multibillion‑dollar global company whose medicines reach over 120 countries and whose tuberculosis drugs are the world’s most widely used. Yet the narrative avoids mythmaking: authors Manish Sabharwal and Sundeep Khanna confront DBG’s setbacks—including a decade-long financial crisis and costly missteps—with the same honesty as his successes. Ultimately, this is a compelling portrait of how great institutions are built slowly, tested harshly and rebuilt with resolve, and of how one determined man helped shape an entire industry while becoming a national business icon.