The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Rome and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Milan, facilitated an exposure visit for Sri Lankan pharmaceutical manufacturers to the 37^th edition of CPHI Worldwide 2026, held from 6^th to 8^th October 2026 at Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy. The programme also included dedicated business networking sessions in Milan for the pharmaceutical sector.

A five-member business delegation representing five Sri Lankan companies participated in the exposure visit to explore opportunities to strengthen the international market presence of Sri Lankan manufacturers.

The participating companies were State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation, Siddhalepa Exports (Pvt) Ltd, Lina Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd, Vetpharma Biotechnology (Pvt) Ltd, and Aithra Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd, representing the pharmaceutical, veterinary, cosmeceutical and natural products sectors. The programme provided an opportunity to gain exposure to international markets, explore potential business partnerships and identify avenues for expanding Sri Lanka’s presence in global markets.

CPHI Worldwide is a major international platform connecting stakeholders across the pharmaceutical value chain, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) suppliers, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), packaging providers, and specialist technical service companies. The event provides opportunities to explore emerging market trends, establish business relationships, and identify potential areas for commercial and technical cooperation.

Participation in the event enabled the Sri Lankan delegation to gain exposure to international pharmaceutical industry developments, explore potential export markets, and identify opportunities for collaboration with international industry stakeholders.

The pharmaceutical industry operates within a highly regulated environment, with manufacturers required to meet applicable product registration, quality, and regulatory requirements in both domestic and export markets. Obtaining market authorization can be a lengthy and costly process, particularly in highly regulated markets where stringent manufacturing standards, including European Union Good Manufacturing Practice (EU-GMP) requirements, may apply.

Despite these developments, the sector continues to face challenges in keeping pace with evolving international market requirements, emerging products and technologies, regulatory frameworks, marketing strategies, new molecules, advanced manufacturing systems, and global pharmaceutical supply chains. Addressing these knowledge gaps is important to support the transition towards higher-value production and improved access to more regulated export markets.

Recognizing these needs, the EDB facilitated the exposure visit to provide participating companies with opportunities to observe international industry developments, improve their understanding of global market expectations, and identify potential business and technology partnerships.

In addition to the exhibition visit, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Milan organized business networking sessions for the Sri Lankan delegation. These sessions provided participants with opportunities to engage with potential buyers, distributors, and other pharmaceutical industry stakeholders, explore prospective export markets, and discuss possible business collaborations.

The exposure visit to CPHI Worldwide 2026 enabled the Sri Lankan delegation to engage with international pharmaceutical companies and specialised service providers, including Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. (Barbados), Orion GXP Consulting (Ireland), Gruppo Farmalpresa (Italy), Intertek (United Kingdom), Nanopharm (France) and NATAC (Spain), as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health of Tanzania. These engagements provided opportunities to explore potential business partnerships, technical cooperation, pharmaceutical product development, natural ingredients, regulatory requirements and international market development.

The EDB will continue to work with industry stakeholders and Sri Lanka’s overseas missions to promote Sri Lankan pharmaceutical products, facilitate international business linkages, and support the long-term development and competitiveness of the country’s pharmaceutical export sector.