Total Synthesis of Natural Products: Key Contributions and Perspectives Reported by Indian Researchers

The total synthesis of natural products remains one of the most challenging and intellectually stimulating areas of organic chemistry. It drives the discovery of novel strategies and methods for constructing complex molecules. Natural products exhibit crucial biological activities and play a significant role in drug discovery and design processes. To date, various natural products have been identified as promising drug candidates, and many are undergoing clinical trials. Over the years, remarkable advances have been made worldwide in the field of natural product synthesis, providing innovative synthetic approaches that continue to enrich this area of research. The development of newer synthetic methods and strategies- such as transition metal catalysis, photocatalysis, green chemistry, electrochemistry, and stereoselective methodologies has served as a key driver in advancing total synthesis. Alongside global efforts, several research groups in India have made significant contributions by developing elegant synthetic routes to structurally complex and biologically important natural products, including potential drug candidates. This review highlights the first total syntheses of natural products reported by Indian researchers from 2015 onwards, with particular emphasis on biomimetic approaches and protecting-group-free strategies that exemplify the ingenuity and growing impact of Indian research contributions in natural product synthesis.