B.Pharma

Indian Pharma Industry, enjoying the status of a highly organized sector, is estimated to be worth $6.9 billion at present, growing at about 13 to 14 per cent per annum. It ranks very high, particularly in the third world, in terms of technology, quality and range of medicines produced.

India’s pharmaceutical exports are to the tune of $1.2 billion, of which formulations contribute nearly 55 per cent and the rest 45 per cent comes from bulk drugs.

Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Indian pharmaceutical industry is a success story guaranteeing employment to millions and ensuring that essential drugs are available at reasonable prices to the huge population of this subcontinent. The pharmaceutical industry today is in the forefront of India’s science-based industries with extensive ranging capabilities in the multifaceted field of drug manufacture and research and development (R&D). Indian pharma industry, enjoying the status of a highly organized sector, is estimated to be worth $6.9 billion at present, growing at about 13 to 14 per cent per annum. It ranks very high, particularly in the third world, in terms of technology, quality and range of medicines produced.

The domestic pharma industry meets around 70 per cent of the country’s demand for bulk drugs as-well-as formulations. However, the pharmaceutical sector is highly fragmented not only with around 250 large units and 8000 small scale units, which form the core of the industry in the country, but also have severe price competition and government price regulations.

Technologically strong and completely self-sufficient, the pharmaceuticalindustry in India has been appreciatedfor low production costs, low R&D costs and inventive scientific manpower. And now supported by a strong Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime since 2005, the Indian industry is all set to take its rightful place in the world pharmaceutical map.

India is the most preferred destination because of availability of skilled workforce, cost-effective chemical amalgamation, upsurge in information and technology, globalization, and consolidation.

Indian pharma industry is highly regulated. More than 85 per cent of the formulations produced in the country are sold in the domestic market. Overall, the size of the domestic formulations market is around $3.6 billion and is growing at 10 per cent per annum. Over 60 per cent of India’s bulk drug production is exported, while the balance is sold to other local formulators within the country.

India’s pharmaceutical exports are to the tune of $1.2 billion, of which formulations contribute nearly 55 per cent and the rest 45 per cent comes from bulk drugs. As per WTO, from the year 2005, India had to grant product patent recognition to all new chemical entities (NCEs). The Indian Government’s decision to allow 100 per cent foreigndirect investment into the drugs and pharmaceuticals sector is expected to fuel growth of contract research into the country. Further, technology transfer to 100 per cent Indian subsidiaries of MNPCs is expected to rise significantly. The Indian industry is also getting increasingly USFDA compliant to harness the growth opportunities in areas of contract research and manufacturing services (CRAMS). Moreover, Indian companies such as Ranbaxy, Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy’s Labs are increasingly focusing on the US generics market.

Moreover, Indian Pharma industry with its rich scientific talents, provides costeffective clinical trials. It has an excellent record of development of improved, cost-beneficial chemical synthesis for various drug molecules. Some MNPCs are already sourcing these services from their Indian affiliates. R&D is the key to the future of the pharma industry. Thus, the future of the Indian pharma industry would be determined by how well it markets its products to several regions, its forward and backward integration capabilities, its R&D and its consolidation through M&A, co-marketing and licensing agreements.

Hence B.Pharma students have the enormous job opportunities. Some of them are in the following field:

• Retail Pharmacy / Chemists and   Druggist
• Hospital Pharmacy
• Industrial Pharmacy
• Government Services
• Pharmaceutical Education
• Nuclear Pharmacy
• Manufacturing, Analysis and Research
• Marketing and medical detailing /   Medical Transcription
• Quality Control & analysis
• Community and Hospital Pharmacists
• Research and Development
• Clinical Research
• Research & Development
• Nanotechnology