Scientometric Mapping of Pharmaceutical Science Research in India during 2011-2020

Table 1 illustrates the distribution of publications, yearly citation gains, and various indices throughout the study period. While the overall number of publications increased during this timeframe, the growth was not uniform. A significant rise occurred between 2011 and 2016, although this trend has since levelled off with a notable low in 2017. Subsequently, publication output improved until 2020, maintaining an annual growth generally between 100 and 2,000. Various growth rate metrics, including the Annual Growth Rate (AGR), the relative growth rate (RGR), Doubling Time (T_d), Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), and the Activity Index (AI) were employed to determine publication trends. The result reveals that there was no consistent increase in the number of publications produced over the study period. Despite India ranking as the third highest global producer with 241142 publications (6.90%), there was a marked slowdown in growth during the latter half of the study period, as reflected by an increased doubling time and a low CAGR of 0.0627. According to the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Report (2021), India’s nearly 3,000 pharmaceutical R&D industries reportedly met over half of the global vaccine demand in 2021, with the domestic market expected to expand significantly to grow from US$ 42 billion in 2021 to US$ 130 billion in the 2030.^[2] However, the data suggest that research output has not kept pace with drug production efforts.

In our assessment of India’s research contributions over time, we utilized the Activity Index (AI)^[39] to compare both global and Indian outputs in pharmaceutical science. As illustrated in Figure 1, India exhibited a heightened research activity, with an AI exceeding 100 during the periods of 2011-2016 and in 2020, surpassing global efforts. Notably, the year 2014 marked a peak in this activity.

Figure 1:
Activity Index.

Using a Research Priority Index (RPI), we conducted a comparative analysis of research focus areas for Indian scholars against their global counterparts. As illustrated in Table 2, data from Scopus reveals that India has contributed 199183 publications across multiple fields out of a total of 2745549 global publications, demonstrating higher activity in 15 of the 27 subject categories. Notably, in the field of “Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmaceutics,” India accounts for 86340 contributions compared to 693787 globally. Following this, significant contributions in India were made in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (68019), Chemistry (61850), and Medicine (56428).

The data for the keywords drug discovery, pharmaceutical science, pharmacology, toxicology, and Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics has been meticulously retrieved and presented in Table 3. While global trends indicate Pharmacology as the leading area with 1945495 publications, Indian researchers generated 115558 papers in this domain. However, areas such as pharmacology, drug discovery and toxicology are prioritized less in India compared to global averages, but the area pharmaceutical science shows the high priority, suggesting a need for realignment to enhance research impact.

The analysis of Indian research contributions reveals a total of 2912770 citations, yielding an average of 12.08 Citations per Paper (CPP), and Table 4 summarizes the details. Notably, publications from 2011 garnered the highest CPP at 19.32. While the volume of annual publications has increased, there is a discernible decline in citation rates, likely attributed to the advancing age of these publications. To better understand this trend, the Citations per Paper per Year (CPPY) were assessed, showing increased citations for works published in 2019 and 2020.

The relative quality of Indian contributions to research was determined using the Research Quality Index (RQI) metric. The RQI for a given year is the ratio of the proportion of quality papers to the proportion of all papers,^[40] with an RQI of 1 indicating alignment with the global average. The authors set the standard for identifying high-quality papers to arrive at this conclusion. High-quality papers, defined as those meeting or exceeding the year’s CPP, totalled 60489 papers with at least 12 citations, demonstrating notable quality. Table depicts the details of total citations, CPP, RQI, and h-index for Indian contributions over the years. The RQI metrics given in Figure 2 indicate that contributions from 2011-2014 and 2019-2020 hovered between 1.00 and 1.09, surpassing the global average, while the period from 2015-2017 reflected diminished performance with RQIs between 0.73 and 0.92.

Figure 2:
Research Quality Index.

The Publication Efficiency Index (PEI) serves as a valuable quality metric for assessing the cumulative impact of research publications relative to research efforts across different countries over time.

PEI determines whether the impact of publications of a particular country in a given year on a research field corresponds to the research effort. The PEI>1 indicates that a country’s publications have a more significant influence on a particular research field than the corresponding research effort.^[41] Although there was a noticeable decline in efficiency, as shown in Figure 3, Indian contributions exceeded the global average from 2011 to 2016, reflecting a previous period of strength in research output.

Figure 3:
Publication Efficiency Index.

Among the most prolific authors, the top ten collectively generated 2340 publications, with seven authors contributing over 200 each. Figure 4 illustrates the clusters within the author network of the top 10 prolific contributors. Notably, Kamal, A. leads with a strong network comprising 1597 links, followed by Sriram, D. at 1076 links, and Ahmad, F.J. with 889 links. The remaining contributors are Ali, J. (763), Gupta, V.K. (611), Sridhar, B. (539), Rajeshkumar, S. (439), Gayathri, R. (421), Lakshmi, T. (319), and Vishnu Priya, V. (248). Interestingly, despite ranking 9th and 10th in publication output, Ali, J. and Gupta, V.K. maintain higher network connectivity, holding 5th and 6th positions respectively.

Figure 4:
Clusters of Co-authorship Network.

The United States remains the foremost partner in collaborative research, producing 14400 joint papers, followed by Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, with China showing a higher growth rate in collaborative papers despite being ranked seventh. The details are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5:
Leading Partnering Countries.

Funding from various agencies worldwide plays a critical role in advancing research within scientific and technological domains. By funding extensive research across several disciplines, the agencies are instrumental in the widespread dissemination of scientific findings. Table 5 reveals the h-index, RQI, and other metrics of the funded papers for 10 of the most prominent pharmaceutical scientific funders. A significant 28.90% of publications during the study period-totaling 69686-received financial support from ten highly productive agencies. Notably, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India, contributed to 18.80% of these publications, achieving an h-index of 125, followed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research at 17.21% and the University Grants Commission of India at 14.94%. Interestingly, two non-Indian entities, the University Grants Committee and the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, are also among the top funders.

Publications fostered by these agencies exhibit RQI values ranging from 1.10 to 1.21, surpassing the global average. Although DST ranks highest in output, its RQI stands at 1.12, positioning it ninth. The UGC and the Department of Biotechnology have the highest-ranked publications, achieving an RQI of 1.21. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) dramatically increased its output from one publication in 2011 to 1816 in 2020, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 130% and attaining an h-index of 79.

Table 6 highlights the most productive fields of research categorized by Scopus, with ‘Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmaceutics’ leading in publication volume at 86340 papers and an h-index of 190. However, it exhibited the slowest Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) at 0.0058. In contrast, the field of Medicine, with 56428 publications and the highest h-index of 245, displayed a lower Research Quality Index (RQI) of 0.90 compared to other top fields, which surpassed the global average (RQI>1), ranging from 1.03 to 1.12.

Table 7 enumerates the ten most productive research organizations, predominantly comprising seven centrally funded government entities from India, with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) leading in output at 3950 articles and 114455 citations. The academic institutions are leading in producing research output.^[23] Despite its significant publication volume, CSIR’s negative CAGR of -3.91% suggests diminished impact. Conversely, the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), launched in 2010, has rapidly ascended to prominence with 3669 publications and an RQI of 1.19 and an h-index of 76, underscoring its superior research quality. Other institutions, such as IICT, Jamia Hamdard, and Vellore Institute of Technology, exhibit RQI scores exceeding 1, reflecting their commitment to quality research, whilst the notable growth of non-governmental organizations suggests a dynamic shift towards enhanced research productivity across diverse sectors.

Throughout the research period, of the total of 241142 papers, yet only 48 (0.020%) received more than 1,000 citations, averaging 2,110 citations each. Among these, 9 publications surpassed 3000 citations, with an average of 4625.11, while 16 papers were cited more than 2000 times averaging 3674.31. Notably, 47 of the top 48 publications were collaboratively authored, with 18992 authors contributing, and only one paper credited to a single author. The most-cited paper, identified as number 1 in Table 8, accrued 7122 citations, although it ranks second based on average citations per year. Conversely, the paper in position 2 achieved the highest average citations per year despite having fewer total citations.

Table 9 presents the most frequently used top 50 keywords identified in the study. Notably, human, controlled study, nonhuman, and unclassified drug emerged as the predominant keywords, reflecting significant areas of focus in the research. This categorization underscores the prevalence of these concepts in the relevant literature, highlighting their importance in the context of the study.

India’s pharmaceutical R&D industry has grown significantly, indicating a robust expansion with CAGR of 11% in the domestic market and 16% in export markets over the last two decades (FICCI 2021) and met more than half of the world’s demand for vaccines in the year 2021 (Indian Pharmaceuticals Industry Report, 2021). But it does not reflect in publication growth, being a 3^rd highest producer (6.90%) worldwide in pharmaceutical science, as the growth rate indicators reveals the unsteady growth with CAGR of 6.27%. Also, it does not confirm the results carried out earlier to find the research activity in the pharmacy in India^[21] and Qatar^[28] that found the increasing trend in the literature production. Indian production was increasing in trend in the first half of the study period. The research was more active in most of the study period and comparatively better than the global activity with an AI exceeding 100. Also, the quality of the research from 2011-2014 and again in 2019-2020 was above the average and it partially confirms the findings of the research conducted based on WoS data in India.^[16,21] Even though the Indian research efficiency is greater than the global average during 2011-2016, the values of PEI show the decreasing order over period. The values of h-index also indicate the high quality in the first half of the period. Even though the production efficiency was less in the second half of the study period, the CPPY is high.

More papers are dispersed in the pharmaceutical sciences, and allied subjects and more priority is given to the allied subjects with RPI exceeding 100. Among the top 10 most prolific Scopus subject fields, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmaceutics is leading in publication volume at 86340 papers and an h-index of 190 but it exhibits the slowest CAGR of 0.58%. In contrast, the field of Medicine, with 56,428 publications and the highest h-index of 245, displayed a lower Research Quality Index (RQI) of 0.90.

The data retrieved individually using the keywords pharmacology, pharmaceutical science, drug discovery and toxicology without any combination demonstrate more papers appeared under pharmacology (115558), followed by pharmaceutical science (74108), and toxicology (55656). This order of Indian shares deviates from the global and BRICS contribution in the field.^[47]

Kamal, A. stands out with an impressive author network of 1597 links, showcasing exceptional connectivity and likely influence within the field. Sriram, D. and Ahmad, F.J. follows, albeit with notable gaps in their networks, possessing 1076 and 889 links, respectively. Interestingly, network connectivity does not strictly correlate with publication output. For instance, Ali, J. and Gupta, V.K., who rank 9^th and 10^th in publication productivity respectively, demonstrate a surprising strength in network connections by ranking 5^th and 6^th.

The United States remains the foremost collaborator in many research fields.^[12,48,49] in this study it produced 14400 joint papers, followed by Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, with China showing a higher growth rate in collaborative papers despite being ranked seventh. This indicates strong collaborative ties between India and countries across multiple continents, enhancing the global impact of pharmaceutical research. The findings show that among the top 10 leading organizations that provided financial support for Indian research in pharmaceutical science, two are not from India such as the University Grants Committee, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Among the Indian sponsors, the DST, Government of India sponsored 5.43% of the total publications, followed by the CSIR (4.97%) and the UGC of India (4.32%) throughout the study and it reflected in h-index also. The research in pharmaceutical science is carried out in all regions in India. Publications fostered by these agencies exhibit RQI exceeding 1, surpassing the global average. The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) dramatically increased its output from 1 to 1816 over the period, with a CAGR of 130% and attaining an h-index of 79.

The academic institutions are leading in producing research output.^[7,29] Of the top 10 most prolific organizations, 7 are centrally funded government organizations and three are private deemed to be universities. CSIR is the leading organization with 3950 publications and 114455 citations. AcSIR produced 3669 publications in a short period from the inception and it is top in the research quality with an RQI of 1.19. The private institutions perform well in the publication production with a CAGR of 54.73% (SIMATS), 14.22% (VIT) and 12.54% (MAHE) but they, except VIT, failed to get more RQI. The organisation that has low CAGR attained more RQI. The academic institutions are leading in producing research output that confirms the earlier study on trend analysis of pharmaceutical management research.^[7]

It is seen from the findings of the top 10 highly cited publications that a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study conducted for different years appears 5 times among the top 10 most frequently cited publications. Most of these studies are related to comparative risk assessment of the burden of disease,^[42] the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults,^[43] age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality,^[44] the people living with disability for acute and chronic diseases and injuries.^[45,46] The keywords such as human, controlled study, nonhuman, and unclassified drug were predominantly used in the papers reflecting significant areas of focus in the research. The study does not include the publications that have not been indexed in Scopus.

The paper reveals the scientometric profile of Indian research in pharmaceutical science, indicating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.27% in publication production throughout study period. However, it also notes a decline in the number of publications during the latter half of the period from 2017 to 2020. India ranks as the third highest global producer of pharmaceutical publications, yet it contributes merely 6.90% to total global production. Despite periods of heightened research activity that exceeded the global average, research output did not align with the country’s drug production levels. India’s pharmaceutical sector has made remarkable strides, positioning the country among the world’s foremost producers of generic medications. With a strong emphasis on innovation, research and development, and regulatory compliance, India is fostering a robust pharmaceutical landscape.

Government initiatives, such as the Scheme for Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech Sector (PRIP), Scheme for Strengthening of Pharmaceuticals Industry (SPI), Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, etc., aim to enhance the nation’s manufacturing capability and production in the sector. Especially, the PLI schemes bolster domestic production and reduce dependency on imports.^[50] In addition, India has boosted its regulatory framework, improving the efficiency with which New Drug Applications (NDAs) and Clinical Trials are approved.^[51] The focus on biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals research infrastructure demonstrates India’s determination to establish itself as a global leader in pharmaceutical sciences. The collaborative efforts among government, industry, and academia are cultivating a conducive environment for advancements in pharmaceutical sciences, establishing India as a significant player in the global healthcare sector. Concentrating more on research in pharmaceutical science may increase research productivity and the Indian economy. The Indian research in some of the sub-fields was more active than the global average. The thirst area of India differs from global interest in terms of publications based on sub-fields. More papers (86340) appeared in the sub-fields Pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmaceutics put together whereas more interest was seen in sub-field medicine at the global level. With 3940 published works, 114455 citations, and an h-index of 108, CSIR was the leading producer, but its growth rate shows less growth. The private institutions are leading in the growth rate but in terms of quality, they are lagging. With RQI>1, the papers published during 2011-2014 and 2019-2020 are of high quality. DST was the top funding sponsor, followed by the CSIR, and two non-Indian organizations ranked in the top 10. The researchers in India in pharmaceutical science need to concentrate more on publication production as well as research quality. CSIR is the only organization among the top 10 leading contributors in the field and all others are academic institutions. Government initiatives should focus on establishing new research organisations, strengthening infrastructure, enhancing funding for research and development, providing access to cutting edge technologies, facilitating skill development programmes for researchers, thereby significantly contributing to the improvement of pharmaceutical science in the country. Moreover, creating a regulatory environment that supports innovation will be vital.

The study confined to the publication pattern of pharmaceutical science research in India and did not reveal the state-wise contributions. A thorough evaluation of the research landscape of various states in this field would be helpful to the decision-makers, researchers, and organizations for further improvement. The countries that have collaborated with India for pharmaceutical science research have been identified, but the deep study for the publications produced with the results of this collaboration has not been done. This gap in research assessment limits the understanding of the impact and efficacy of such international partnerships in advancing pharmaceutical science. A comprehensive comparative study of research collaboration with other countries can illuminate India’s global positioning and fostering collaboration among organizations in and across India would give more insights to the industries and organizations seeking effective partners for excelling research in this area and enhancing the quality.

Future research in the realm of mapping of pharmaceutical science in India should prioritize several critical areas to deepen the field’s understanding. First, conducting longitudinal studies that analyze data beyond 2020 will reveal emerging research themes and evolving funding patterns. Furthermore, exploring collaboration dynamics among academic institutions, industry, and government may provide insights into innovation and knowledge transfer. Finally, examining the influence of specific research outputs on public health policies and practices will help evaluate the practical implications of scientific advancements in the pharmaceutical sector.