CPHI & PMEC India 2026: The Complete Guide to Dates, Passes, Two Venues & What to Expect

---

Quick Answer: When is CPHI & PMEC India 2026 and what is it? CPHI & PMEC India 2026 runs from Monday November 23 to Thursday November 26, 2026 in Delhi NCR, and for the first time it is split across two venues. CPHI India, for pharma ingredients, APIs, excipients, natural extracts and finished dosage, runs November 23-25 at IICC Yashobhoomi in Dwarka, New Delhi. PMEC India, for pharma machinery, packaging, lab and analytical equipment and cleanroom technology, runs November 24-26 at IEML in Greater Noida. The organizer publishes one schedule for the event: 10:00-18:00 on November 23-25 and 10:00-17:00 on November 26, when only PMEC India is open. It is organized by Informa Markets. One badge covers both venues, and the organizer lists three paid passes, with the Standard Pass at ₹999 plus tax (or €11 including tax for international visitors) until November 1. The organizer's post-show report for 2025 gives 37,148 visitors from 120 countries and 2,000+ exhibiting companies.

The decision this year is new: which venue, and which days. The two shows, which shared one venue in 2025, are now about 60 km apart, on opposite sides of Delhi NCR, and they are both open only on Tuesday November 24 and Wednesday November 25. An API buyer or a formulation scientist belongs at Yashobhoomi, and Monday is the day CPHI India has to itself. A plant engineer looking at tablet presses, filling lines or cleanroom systems belongs at IEML, and Thursday is PMEC-only. Anyone who needs both should split the overlap days and use the organizer's shuttle. This guide is published 38 days before the show opens and 16 days before the current pass prices end.

It covers what each half of the show includes, the four-day shape, passes, the buyer program and awards, exhibiting, and getting to and between the two venues. Dates, hours and prices come from the organizer's site at cphi.com/india and its 2025 post-show report, checked on October 12, 2026. For the structured listing, see our CPHI & PMEC India 2026 show page.

---

1. What CPHI & PMEC India Actually Is

CPHI & PMEC India is the Indian edition of the CPHI pharma event series run by Informa Markets, the same organizer behind CPHI Worldwide. It pairs two shows: CPHI India for what goes into a medicine, and PMEC India for the equipment used to make and pack it. In 2025 both ran side by side at one venue: the 2025 edition was held on November 25-27 at India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, according to trade press reports at the time.

For 2026 the organizer has separated them. Its FAQ says the show has grown to a size that "even the largest venue available" could not host, and lists exhibitor complaints it wanted to fix: limited choice of stand, a show too large for three days, and meetings made difficult by heavy footfall. It also says there is currently no venue in Mumbai that could take the event. PMEC is the larger of the two shows by volume, which is why it went to IEML; the organizer says IICC currently has two operational halls, enough for CPHI but not for PMEC.

The split follows the product line:

• CPHI India at IICC Yashobhoomi, Dwarka (November 23-25) has zones for APIs, finished dosage, excipients, natural extracts, and fine chemicals and intermediates. The organizer pitches it at formulation scientists and procurement leads, and at buyers looking for ready-to-license products and contract services.
• PMEC India at IEML, Greater Noida (November 24-26) has zones for pharma machinery and equipment, packaging and drug delivery, lab, analytical and biotech equipment, clean technology and environmental protection. New this year is an AI & Tech zone in Hall 1A, within the pharma machinery and packaging area, for manufacturing software, quality and compliance systems, automation and analytics.

Who exhibited in 2025. The post-show report names, among others, Biocon, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Lupin, Hetero Labs, Jubilant Ingrevia, Merck Life Science, IMCD India, Clariant, Hovione and DFE Pharma on the ingredients side, and ACG, Fette Compacting Machinery India, IMA, Gerresheimer, Cadmach, Gansons, Fabtech Technologies and Borosil Scientific on the machinery side. Treat these as 2025 exhibitors. For 2026, the organizer runs separate searchable exhibitor lists for CPHI India and PMEC India, with stand numbers; on October 12 they showed 711 and 678 exhibitors respectively. Check the current lists, rather than last year's names, before you plan meetings.

Who visited in 2025. According to the post-show report, 96% of visitors came from Asia, 2% from the Americas, 1% from Europe and 1% from Africa and MENA. After India, the top visitor countries listed were Nepal, Japan, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka. The organizer reports that 52.5% of visitors were in top management and 27.3% in middle management, and that 76% had purchasing power. The most common reasons given for attending were finding new suppliers (33%) and finding new partners (27%).

2. Dates, Hours & the Four-Day Shape

The organizer publishes one set of opening times for the event as a whole (10:00-18:00 on November 23-25 and 10:00-17:00 on November 26), not separate hours per venue. The table applies that schedule to whichever venue is open that day; check the event app or your badge confirmation for any venue-specific change.

A few things follow from this shape:

• Monday is CPHI only. The India Pharma Awards are also announced that day at Yashobhoomi (see section 5), so ingredient buyers and suppliers get a full first day without PMEC competing for time.
• Tuesday and Wednesday are the only days you can do both. These are the days the organizer runs its shuttle between the venues. With 60 km between them, plan on one venue per half-day at most, not hopping back and forth.
• Thursday is PMEC only, and shorter. The halls close at 17:00. If machinery is your main reason to come, Thursday gives you a day when the ingredient crowd has gone.
• It is longer than before. The 2025 edition ran three days at one venue. The organizer describes the four-day, two-venue format as a response to the industry's request for more time.

3. Passes: How to Get In

The organizer's pass page, checked on October 12, 2026, lists three paid passes. All of them cover both venues, and you choose your main event when you register so the organizer can tailor its messages. Domestic registrations are charged in rupees, plus tax; international registrations in euros, including tax.

The organizer says prices "will increase as we get closer to the event." The offer prices above end on November 1; the page shows the higher figure in each range as the full price, but does not say whether there are further steps before the show, so register before November 1 if you have decided to go.

Two points to check when you register:

• An older FAQ answer conflicts with the pass page. The FAQ on the organizer's "why attend" pages says registration opens six months before the show and "will become paid one month before the event." The pass page already lists only paid passes. Go by what the registration portal charges you.
• Approval paperwork. The organizer offers a downloadable justification toolkit for visitors who need to make a business case to their employer before booking.

Press. The organizer says press registration opens closer to the event and that editorial staff hear within a week whether a press pass is approved.

4. The Connections Programme (Hosted Buyers)

The Connections Programme is the organizer's hosted-buyer scheme. Selected buyers get three nights' accommodation at a designated hotel, pre-arranged meetings through the organizer's matchmaking, a personalized list of exhibitors and sessions, and VIP benefits that the organizer lists as Leaders Lounge access and entry to the India Pharma Awards.

The organizer says it is for senior executives with direct purchasing authority and sourcing needs, who can dedicate three days between November 23 and 26 to the show and attend what it calls "a minimum of 8-10 scheduled meetings with exhibitors each exhibition day". The wording does not make clear whether the minimum is eight or ten meetings a day, so confirm the exact daily commitment with the organizer before you accept. You apply through a form; the organizer's team then qualifies you, discusses your sourcing needs and builds a meeting agenda. It does not publish a deadline, so apply early if you want to be considered.

5. India Pharma Awards and the Conference Program

India Pharma Awards. Now in its 12th year, according to the organizer, the awards run under the CPHI & PMEC India banner. The 2026 key dates:

• October 30, 2026 - nomination deadline
• November 5-10 - screening round (the organizer marks these dates as tentative)
• November 16 - final jury meeting
• November 23 - awards announcement at Yashobhoomi (IICC), Dwarka

Categories include Excellence in Export Promotion, Make in India Initiatives, Quality, R&D and Sustainability, Pharma Innovation of the Year, Brand of the Year (Rx/OTC), Excellence in AI & Robotics Innovation, Patient Access, Pharma Marketing Campaign of the Year, Employee Engagement & Wellbeing, and Outstanding Contribution to Pharmaceutical Research by Academic Institutes.

Conference program. The organizer's call for speakers, which closed on July 30, listed the 2026 themes: policy and regulation, global market trends, manufacturing and outsourcing, emerging technologies, packaging and drug delivery, sustainable packaging, formulation and ingredients, supply chain, bio-manufacturing and sustainability, biopharma and cell and gene therapy strategy, and capital and partnerships. A session-by-session agenda was not published on the site when this guide was checked. All three passes include the conference and content program.

What ran in 2025. The post-show report describes a Pharma Leaders Roundtable (a closed-door forum for senior leaders), a Power Breakfast, the Pharma Connect Congress, a Women in Pharma roundtable, a Sustainability Lounge and a Start-up Market pavilion. Check the 2026 agenda before assuming each one returns, and at which venue.

6. The Start-up Market

The organizer runs a Start-up Market for first-time exhibitors at CPHI India. The package includes exhibition space, two exhibitor passes, AI matchmaking, lead retrieval, an event profile and a marketing toolkit. The listed cost is INR 1.75 lakh plus tax, or USD 2,000 plus applicable taxes.

To qualify, the organizer says a company must be a recognized start-up incorporated as a private limited company, partnership or LLP, no more than 10 years old, with turnover below INR 100 crore in each previous financial year. It must be active in pharma, biopharma, packaging, drug delivery or medical devices, have a product at proof-of-concept stage or later, commit to attending in person, and not have exhibited at CPHI India before. Informa Markets reserves the right to refuse applicants.

7. Exhibiting at CPHI & PMEC India

Which show. The first decision is the venue. Ingredients, APIs, excipients, finished dosage, natural extracts and fine chemicals go to CPHI India; machinery, packaging, lab equipment and cleanroom technology go to PMEC India. The organizer's stand enquiry form asks you to choose one or both, and says its sales team will advise companies that sit across the two.

What it costs. The organizer does not publish standard stand rates on its website; they are in the 2026 sales brochure, a download from the "why exhibit" page, and in quotes from the sales team. Ask for a written quote for the venue and stand type you want. The only prices the organizer publishes online are for two special formats, and they are not a guide to the cost of a standard stand:

• AI & Tech zone (PMEC India, Hall 1A): "approximately INR 2,00,000 + 18% GST (or USD 2,500 + 18% GST)," according to the organizer's FAQ for that zone.
• Start-up Market (CPHI India): INR 1.75 lakh plus tax, or USD 2,000 plus taxes, for first-time exhibitors that meet the start-up criteria (see section 6).

Who to contact. Use the stand enquiry form on the organizer's "book your stand" page, which routes you to CPHI India, PMEC India or both. For the AI & Tech zone, the organizer's page names Rohan Salian as the contact.

Questions to settle before you commit:

• Which venue your buyers will actually be at. If you sell to both formulation teams and plant engineering, ask the sales team how its pre-show messaging will steer visitors between venues.
• Which days your stand is staffed. A CPHI stand runs Monday to Wednesday; a PMEC stand opens a day later and closes an hour early on Thursday.
• What the brochure price includes: shell scheme or space only, furniture, power, passes, lead retrieval and app listing.
• Where your stand sits relative to your zone. The organizer says the 2026 layout is being redesigned with clearly defined zones, so ask for the current floor plan.
• Build-up and breakdown dates and rules: ask for the exhibitor manual for your venue.
• Your own travel between venues if your team needs to cover both.

A warning from the organizer. CPHI publishes an exhibitor warning about directory and "expo guide" companies that send forms looking like an official catalogue listing and then bill for multi-year contracts. It names Expo Guide, ExpoFairs, FairGuide.com, Construct Data Verlag and others, and says they have no connection with its events.

8. Getting There and Between the Venues

CPHI India: IICC Yashobhoomi, Sector 25, Dwarka, New Delhi. Yashobhoomi is the India International Convention and Expo Centre in southwest Delhi. The Delhi Metro's Airport Express Line ends at the Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector-25 station, which also serves Indira Gandhi International Airport, making this the easier of the two venues to reach from the airport. The organizer lists connectivity by metro, airport and road among the reasons it chose IICC, and says ample parking is available.

PMEC India: IEML, Knowledge Park II, Greater Noida. India Expo Centre & Mart is in Greater Noida, on the far side of Delhi NCR from Dwarka. The venue says it is connected to Delhi NCR by metro. The organizer says parking is available, including a designated NASA Ground Parking area.

Between the venues. The organizer says the venues are about 60 km apart and both are connected by the Delhi Metro. It will run a free, regular shuttle service between IICC and IEML on the overlap days, November 24 and 25. Detailed schedules and pickup points will be published closer to the event; the timetable link on the organizer's travel page was not live when this guide was checked. The organizer also says updated metro routes to both venues will be shared nearer the show.

Visas. The organizer says nationals of most countries can apply for an Indian e-Visa, and that it can issue a visa invitation letter to registered visitors and exhibitors. It has no role in the visa decision itself, so start early.

Hotels. The organizer says hotels book up quickly around the show dates and names Atelier and LGT as its official hospitality partners, with separate booking pages for hotels near CPHI India and near PMEC India. Choose your base by the venue where you will spend most of your time; staying near Dwarka and commuting to Greater Noida every day, or the other way around, eats into your show hours.

9. Planning Notes and Clashes

Key dates:

• Now - registration open; Connections Programme applications open.
• October 30 - India Pharma Awards nomination deadline.
• November 1 - current pass offer prices end.
• November 23 - CPHI India opens at Yashobhoomi; India Pharma Awards announced.
• November 24-25 - both venues open; shuttle runs between them.
• November 26 - PMEC India's final day at IEML, closing at 17:00.

Nearby in the calendar. The IITF 2026 runs November 14-27 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, overlapping the whole of CPHI & PMEC India, which is one more reason to book Delhi hotels early. In Europe, MEDICA 2026 in Düsseldorf ends the week before. Our November 2026 trade shows calendar lists the other major shows that month.

The CPHI network. The CPHI Worldwide 2026 recap covers this October's flagship in Milan and the move to Frankfurt for 2027. Informa also runs CPHI Japan and CPHI Americas; check each event's site for its next dates.

A note on the numbers. The organizer's 2025 post-show report and its "show highlights" page give 37,148 visitors, 120 countries, 2,000+ exhibiting companies and 120,000 square meters. Other pages on the same site give different visitor figures for 2025: "50k+" on the "why attend" pages, 50,000 on the Connections Programme page, and "35,000+" on the Start-up Market page; the call for speakers refers to "over 36,000" industry leaders. This guide uses the post-show report figure throughout. The 2,000+ exhibitor figure is the organizer's rounded claim, and it covers both shows together.

---

FAQs

When is CPHI & PMEC India 2026? CPHI & PMEC India 2026 runs from November 23 to 26, 2026 in Delhi NCR. CPHI India is at IICC Yashobhoomi in Dwarka from Monday November 23 to Wednesday November 25. PMEC India is at IEML in Greater Noida from Tuesday November 24 to Thursday November 26.

What are the opening hours? The organizer publishes one schedule for the whole event, not separate hours per venue: 10:00 to 18:00 on November 23, 24 and 25, and 10:00 to 17:00 on November 26, the final day, when only PMEC India at IEML is open.

Why is CPHI & PMEC India at two venues in 2026? The organizer says the show grew too large for any single available venue, and that exhibitors had asked for more choice of stand, a show longer than three days and fewer crowded meetings. CPHI India went to IICC in Dwarka, which the organizer says has two operational halls, and the larger PMEC India went to IEML in Greater Noida.

How much does a pass cost? On October 12, 2026 the organizer listed three passes valid until November 1: Standard at ₹999 plus tax (€11 for international visitors), Explorer at ₹1,499 plus tax (€17) and Leader at ₹4,999 plus tax (€54). The organizer shows full prices of up to ₹2,499, ₹3,999 and ₹7,499 (€27, €42 and €80) and says prices rise closer to the event.

Does one badge cover both CPHI India and PMEC India? Yes. The organizer says your badge gives access to both CPHI India at IICC Dwarka and PMEC India at IEML Greater Noida with the same registration.

How far apart are the two venues, and is there a shuttle? The organizer says IICC in Dwarka and IEML in Greater Noida are about 60 km apart and both are connected by the Delhi Metro. It will run a free shuttle between the venues on the overlap days, November 24 and 25, with schedules and pickup points to be published closer to the event.

What is the difference between CPHI India and PMEC India? CPHI India covers what goes into pharmaceutical products: APIs, finished dosage, excipients, natural extracts, and fine chemicals and intermediates. PMEC India covers how they are made and packed: pharma machinery and equipment, packaging and drug delivery, lab and analytical equipment, and cleanroom technology, plus a new AI & Tech zone.

How big was CPHI & PMEC India 2025? According to the organizer's 2025 post-show report, the 2025 edition recorded 37,148 visitors from 120 countries, 2,000+ exhibiting companies and 120,000 square meters of exhibition space.

What does it cost to exhibit? Standard stand rates are not published on the organizer's website; they are in its 2026 sales brochure and sales quotes. The only published prices are for two special formats: the organizer lists the AI & Tech zone at PMEC India at approximately INR 2,00,000 plus 18% GST (USD 2,500 plus GST), and the Start-up Market package for eligible first-time start-ups at INR 1.75 lakh plus tax (USD 2,000 plus taxes).

Do I need a visa to attend CPHI & PMEC India? Check your own requirements on the Indian government's visa portal. The organizer says nationals of most countries can apply for an e-Visa. It can issue a visa invitation letter to registered visitors and exhibitors, but has no role in the visa decision, so apply early.