Note to Editors – Most US and European drugmakers producing biosimilar products use decades-old manufacturing processes. While Western manufacturers have no commercial incentive to innovate in downstream processes, the situation in emerging economies is very different. Here, we highlight two Indian companies – Biocon and Enzene Biosciences (or Alkem Labs) – that have increased their local market share by investing in manufacturing process innovations and reducing costs without compromising product safety and quality competitiveness. We suggest that other firms in emerging economies can adopt their approach more broadly, especially where there are several market entrants seeking to gain a competitive advantage. Furthermore, as emerging economies continue to grow, we believe that investing in innovation in processes can give emerging-economy firms a competitive advantage over their larger peers in advanced economies.