Let's take a glimpse into the crucial raw material supplies and recent trends and in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Generally, Pharmaceutical Raw Materials are categorized into the following three categories:

1.Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)

API is one of the primary supplies of pharmaceutical medicine because it is pharmaceutically active and responsible for a drug's activity. When manufacturing API, accuracy and precision with the raw materials are two of the most important factors to consider.

2. Inactive Ingredients or Excipients

Excipients, commonly known as inactive ingredients or drug transporters, are a type of inactive substance. Solvents and various types of carriers are employed as excipients in pharmaceuticals. These add bulk and stability to drug formulations while aiding absorption and preventing drug denaturation.

3. Packaging 

In the pharmaceutical sector, packaging must also be flawless and accurate. Plastics, polymers, glass, aluminium foil, paper, and other raw materials are utilised in pharmaceutical packaging. Because of the variety of raw materials used in pharma, packaging has been separated into its category.

Technology: This has been the foundation of change and disruption, transforming the logistics and supply chain sectors as a whole. The Indian logistics sector has been rapidly adapting to change, from automation in warehousing for monitoring and maintaining cold storage facilities to driverless vehicles and the use of AI and ML-enabled processes to ensure efficacy and speed. 

Increased reach: The Indian pharma and healthcare supply chain is expanding its reach as a result of the policy push for infrastructure development in logistics. Adoption of newer rail and road transport routes, the establishment of dedicated logistic parks around ports, and other factors have resulted in the development of multi-modal logistics, ensuring that vaccines and vital medicines reach even the most remote corners of the country.

Manpower- skilled and trained: As technology has become more prevalent, the requirement for training and upskilling of handling personnel and labourers has become more apparent. Given the importance of the cargo, particularly sensitive medical material such as pharmaceuticals, diagnostics kits, and temperature-sensitive vaccines, teaching and training warehouse, transportation, and ground handling workers to efficiently handle the shipments has become critical. So far, labourer training and upskilling in logistics and warehousing has been mostly disregarded. 

The pandemic, on the other hand, has highlighted the critical need for regular training for both on-the-ground and managerial personnel in the proper handling of life-saving cargo, optimising tech-enabled warehouse and supply chain operations, and focusing on digital literacy for blue-collar workers.

The pharmaceutical supply chain has grown increasingly global and sophisticated. It's vital to guarantee that they can sustain disruptions as more outsourcing, new modalities, and unique ways to reach patients become available.India's pharmaceutical industries will need to reform their models and processes in order to reach their full supply chain potential. It will be necessary to restructure the supply chain. This thorough shift will necessitate top-level commitment, as well as a skilled execution team capable of sustaining the gains. Also, by adapting to such future trends and changes, businesses can establish a seamless supply chain system despite a complex network.