Plus deals involving Kissei/JWP, Shionogi/Cilcare, Takeda/Torrent, Genome & Co./Debiopharm, Kaken/J&J, CStone/Ewopharma, MediLink/BioNTech and more.

Two top-50 Indian firms are speculated to be on the block with valuations expected to be richer than past multiples paid by buyers. A small, less known life sciences solutions provider is also keen to rope in a CDMO partner. Scrip speaks to a cross-section of experts on the action in deal street.

In an interview with JB CEO Nikhil Chopra, Scrip discusses talk of a stake sale by private equity fund KKR, gains from acquisitions including select Novartis brands, plans to ascend to the top five in cardiology and a ramp up of the CDMO business, which has clients including J&J.

Industry veteran and mentor to many, Ranjit Shahani steered Novartis India with seeming calm through a rocky phase when the Glivec patent case ruling didn't go the Swiss multinational's way - perhaps not unusual for someone who had seen the ebbs and flows of life closely when his parents moved to India as refugees from Pakistan.