Sai Life Sciences to Hire 700+ Professionals in FY27 Amid CRDMO Sector Growth
Hyderabad-based CRDMO Sai Life Sciences plans to recruit over 700 scientific, technical, and management professionals during 2026-27, representing a 20% workforce expansion driven by growing global demand for integrated drug discovery and manufacturing services.
Sai Life Sciences announced plans to hire more than 700 scientific, technical, and management professionals during 2026–27, citing growing global demand for integrated drug discovery, development, and manufacturing services. The expansion represents approximately a 20% increase to the company's current workforce of more than 3,400 scientists and professionals.
The Hyderabad-based CRDMO said the recruitment will span medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, process and analytical development, formulation development, process engineering, technology transfer, quality, peptides, business development, program management, and manufacturing roles. The majority of positions will be based at the company's largest integrated R&D campus in Hyderabad, with the company also operating sites in Manchester (process R&D) and Boston (early discovery and client engagement).
A key focus of the hiring push is attracting high-caliber scientists from leading institutions in India and globally, reflecting what the company described as increasing program complexity and higher scientific expectations from global innovator companies. The new roles will support activity in complex small-molecule synthesis, high-throughput experimentation, data-enabled drug discovery, and late-stage CMC and commercial manufacturing scale-up.
The CEO and Managing Director described the expansion as part of ongoing "global supply-chain rebalancing" taking place across the pharmaceutical industry. "We are at an inflection point for the Indian CRDMO industry. Global supply-chain rebalancing, the need for resilient development and manufacturing partners, and the rising sophistication of outsourced science are converging in India's favour."
The company generates the majority of its revenue from clients in America, Europe, and Britain. Over the past six years, Sai Life Sciences has committed more than $219 million toward expanding its manufacturing capabilities to support this growth strategy.
The announcement fits a broader pattern of Indian CRDMOs positioning for a larger share of global pharmaceutical outsourcing. A 2025 BCG report on the Indian CRDMO sector pointed to global supply chain realignments and India's growing capability base as key drivers, while competitors including Aragen have announced major capacity expansions in Hyderabad. The shift reflects an industrywide push to take on more scientifically complex, later-stage work that was previously kept in-house or handled by Western partners.
Market research firm Mordor Intelligence forecasts the industry will more than double to reach $57.94 billion between 2025 and 2031. The hiring plan comes after the company's December 2024 public listing (BSE: 544306 | NSE: SAILIFE) and underscores its focus on scaling talent and capabilities ahead of FY27 demand.