MUMBAI - India's medicinal development dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. Its ancient yet very effective medication - known as the Ayurvedic system - is still widely used for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. The significance of Ayurveda remains unshaken among many Indians today, despite the recent strides that have been made in modern drug development in India.¹ Lately, many Indian pharma companies have been using traditional medicine components to lessen the adverse effects of various medicines.

Consumers are now more mindful of their health than they used to be - including the type of medicines that least affect the body - especially after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the Indian pharma landscape is witnessing an increasing number of drug development startups that focus on using technology - primarily artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning  - to develop innovative medicines.²

Problems in drug development

Companies like AIRA Matrix are now leveraging the power of AI and innovating drugs that advance healthcare.³ Fundamentally, drug development is an expensive and time-consuming process, and it can take over 10 years of hard work to produce just one effective and acceptable medicine. However, AI can be a key player here, as its predictive capabilities are able to reduce false possibilities and eliminate dependence on predetermined targets - traditional systems typically must rely on a known target. AI’s cutting-edge algorithms can also advance the speed, accuracy, and precision of drug development.⁴

Realizing the significance of AI in drug development, Chaith Kondragunta, chief executive of AIRA Matrix, believes in the opportunities presented by using AI in the preclinical drug development phase. Kondragunta has also stated