OSDD is a community of students, scientists, researchers, academicians, institutions, corporations and anyone who is committed to discovery of drugs in an open source mode.Open Source Drug Discovery emphasizes integrative science through collaboration, open-sharing, taking up multifaceted approaches and accruing benefits from advances on different fronts of new drug discovery. Because the open source model is based on community participation, it has the potential to self-sustain continuous development by generating a storehouse of alternatives towards continued pursuit for new drug discovery. Numerous academic and research intuitions along with industries are partnering with India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in this Open Source Drug Discovery Project.

The OSDD approach is to conduct early stage research in an open environment in a highly collaborative fashion involving in so far as possible the best minds from across the world. In the development stage of the drug it collaborates with partners like contract research organizations in the pharmaceutical sector or public sector institutions with development capability. The conduct of research and development in the countries having disease burden, yet having competencies, will bring in skills at highly affordable scale.

To deliver drugs to the market OSDD relies on the generic industry business model. The generic drug industry has played a key role in making drugs affordable and accessible in the developing world. The drugs that come out of OSDD will be made available like a generic drug without any IP encumbrances so that the generic drug industry can manufacture and sell it through their channels anywhere in the world. The generic drug industry based market model creates the environment of affordability.
OSDD brings in the concept of open source, crowd source, open science, open innovation and product development partnership concepts on the same platform and leaves delivery of drugs to market forces.