Question

India’s largest and first multi-national pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy is being bought over by_________

• A. Matrix Pharma.
• B. GVK Bio-sciences.
• C. Merck.
• D. None of these.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

India’s largest and first multinational pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. became the subject of a landmark corporate acquisition in the year 2008. The company, which had established itself as a global leader in the production of generic medicines and was headquartered in Gurgaon, was bought by the Japanese pharmaceutical major Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd..

Step 1 — Background of Ranbaxy:
• Founded in 1937, Ranbaxy grew rapidly during the late 20th century and expanded to markets across Europe, the USA, Africa, and Asia.
• It became the first Indian pharmaceutical company to truly gain multinational status with a large global footprint.

Step 2 — The acquisition event:
• In June 2008, Daiichi Sankyo announced that it would acquire a controlling stake in Ranbaxy.
• The Japanese firm purchased around 63.9% stake from Ranbaxy’s promoters (the Singh family) and through an open offer.
• The deal was valued at approximately $4.6 billion, making it one of the largest cross-border acquisitions in India’s pharmaceutical industry at the time.

Step 3 — Importance of the deal:
• It gave Daiichi Sankyo access to Ranbaxy’s strong generic drug portfolio and worldwide distribution network.
• For Ranbaxy, it meant integration with a larger research-driven global pharmaceutical company.
• This acquisition was seen as a turning point, showing how Indian firms had grown valuable enough to attract major international buyers.

Step 4 — Why the option is “None of these”:
Since the correct buyer, Daiichi Sankyo, may not have been listed among the given choices, the answer key identifies the correct option as (D) None of these.

Final Answer:
Ranbaxy was bought over by Daiichi Sankyo of Japan. Correct choice in the given options = (D) None of these.