Hyderabad, Telangana, India, July 2026 — Smilax Laboratories Limited has appointed Appasaheb Kandagal as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In his new role, he will lead the company’s growth strategy by strengthening its global presence, expanding strategic partnerships, driving innovation, and enhancing operational excellence to create long-term value for customers and stakeholders.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Appasaheb Kandagal brings deep expertise in Generic APIs, CDMO, alliance management, portfolio strategy, supply chain optimization, and operational excellence. Throughout his career, he has successfully led global commercial operations, business transformation initiatives, portfolio expansion, and strategic partnerships across some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical organizations.
Prior to joining Smilax Laboratories Limited, Appasaheb served as Head – Alliance Business at Matrix Pharma Corp, where he led the company’s alliance and contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) business, strengthening strategic collaborations and expanding customer partnerships. Before that, he spent more than 15 years with Mylan Laboratories Limited, later becoming part of Viatris, where he held several senior leadership positions. Most recently, as Head – API Commercial: Europe, Portfolio and New Products, he led the European API business and managed global key accounts while driving portfolio strategy, new product commercialization, and business development. During his tenure, he successfully managed annual API sales of approximately USD 40–45 million, expanded relationships with major global pharmaceutical companies, and spearheaded portfolio enrichment initiatives supporting both internal product development and third-party customers.
Earlier at Mylan Laboratories Limited, he served as Associate Vice President, leading marketing services, API portfolio management, demand and supply planning, logistics, compliance, and strategic planning for an API business valued at nearly USD 350 million annually. He also established centralized project management capabilities that significantly strengthened customer support and cross-functional execution across development, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial teams.
Before Mylan, Appasaheb held leadership roles at Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, where he led API sourcing and global supplier qualification initiatives that generated significant cost savings while supporting regulatory filings across multiple international markets. Earlier, he served as Senior Engineer – Technical Services at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, contributing to API process engineering, manufacturing scale-up, cost optimization, and commissioning of new cGMP manufacturing facilities. He began his professional journey with Gharda Chemicals Limited, where he spent over six years leading engineering, plant commissioning, process optimization, and project execution for large-scale agrochemical manufacturing facilities.
As Chief Executive Officer, Appasaheb will spearhead Smilax Laboratories Limited’s next phase of growth by expanding its global API and CDMO business, strengthening customer partnerships, accelerating innovation, and enhancing operational capabilities to reinforce the company’s position in the international pharmaceutical industry.
About Smilax Laboratories Limited
Smilax Laboratories Limited is a leading manufacturer and exporter of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical intermediates. Established in 2005, the company operates versatile multi-purpose manufacturing facilities at Jeedimetla, Hyderabad, and Pharma City, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, serving customers across global pharmaceutical markets.
Committed to quality, regulatory compliance, innovation, and operational excellence, Smilax Laboratories provides high-quality API solutions that support pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide. Through continuous investment in manufacturing capabilities, technology, and customer partnerships, the company continues to strengthen its position as a trusted global pharmaceutical partner.
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