PRESENT SCENARIO IN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry today is in the front rank of Indias science-based industries with wide ranging capabilities in the complex field of drug manufacture and technology. It ranks very high in the third world, in terms of technology, quality and range of medicines manufactured. From simple headache pills to sophisticated antibiotics and complex cardiac compounds, almost every type of medicine is now made indigenously. Indian Pharma Industry plays a key role in promoting and sustaining development in the vital field of medicines, as well as boasts of quality producers and many units approved by regulatory authorities in USA and UK. International companies associated with this sector have stimulated, assisted and spearheaded this dynamic development in the past 53 years and helped to put India on the pharmaceutical map of the world.

Growth Scenario in 2010

India's pharmaceutical industry is now the third largest in the world in terms of volume. Its rank is 14th in terms of value. Between September 2008 and September 2009, the total turnover of India's pharmaceuticals industry was US$ 21.04 billion. The domestic market was worth US$ 12.26 billion. This was reported by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. As per a report by IMS Health India, the Indian pharmaceutical market reached US$ 10.04 billion in size in July 2010. A highly organized sector, the Indian Pharma Industry is estimated to be worth $ 4.5 billion, growing at about 8 to 9 percent annually. Know more out this in our article on Indian Pharmaceutical Industry- Future Trends Also check out Pharmaceutical Market Trends 2010

Characteristics of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry

The Indian Pharmaceutical sector is highly fragmented with more than 20,000 registered units. It has expanded drastically in the last two decades. The leading 250 pharmaceutical companies control 70% of the market with market leader holding nearly 7% of the market share. It is an extremely fragmented market with severe price competition and government price control. The pharmaceutical industry in India meets around 70% of the country's demand for bulk drugs, drug intermediates, pharmaceutical formulations, chemicals, tablets, capsules, orals and injectibles. There are about 250 large units and about 8000 Small Scale Units, which form the core of the pharmaceutical industry in India (including 5 Central Public Sector Units). These units produce the complete range of pharmaceutical formulations, i.e., medicines ready for consumption by patients and about 350 bulk drugs, i.e., chemicals having therapeutic value and used for production of pharmaceutical formulations.
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Leading Pharmaceutical Companies

In the domestic market, Cipla retained its leadership position with 5.27 per cent share. Ranbaxy followed next. The highest growth was for Mankind Pharma (37.2%). Other leading companies in the Indian pharma market in 2010 are: Sun Pharma (25.7%) Abbott (25%) Zydus Cadila (24.1%) Alkem Laboratories (23.3%) Pfizer (23.6 %) GSK India (19%) Piramal Healthcare (18.6 %) Lupin (18.8 %)

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND PROFILE FOR MBA'S

An MBAs ability to handle uncertainty is part of why they are so valuable to the industry. MBAs are champions for change, says Stephanie Weisenberger, Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition at Astellas Pharma US, Inc., headquartered in Deerfield, Ill. They can deal with ambiguity, and theres lots of that going on in our industry. As a medium-sized global firm relatively new to MBA recruitment, Astellas is capitalizing on the overall decrease in competition from big pharma recruiters. They launched their inaugural internship program this past summer and based on the success are hoping to add a few more for the summer 2010. Were a growing company, and not many in this industry can say that right now, claims Weisenberger. Weve launched two products in the last two years.

Even in good economic times, the pharmaceutical industry can be tough to crack without some experience in the industry. This is particularly true for marketing roles. Its not an easy industry to cross over into, says Kraft. Therere a lot of regulatory factors that make a pharma marketer very different than somewhere else. For more senior level roles in marketing, an MBA is almost a given. Theres an impression [in the industry] that once youve gotten your MBA, you have an appreciation for strategy. Its tough to acquire an MBA and not have business acumen and analytical skills. Internship programs, such as Astellas, have traditionally helped to bridge this experience gap by preparing interns for Associate Product Manager roles made available to them after graduation. From there, the path into marketing is smooth, but an MBA is a prerequisite for the internship.

FUTURE PROSPECTS
The Indian pharmaceuticals market is expected to reach US$ 55 billion in 2020 from US$ 12.6 billion in 2009. This was stated in a report title "India Pharma 2020: Propelling access and acceptance, realising true potential" by McKinsey & Company. In the same report, it was also mentioned that in an aggressive growth scenario, the pharma market has the further potential to reach US$ 70 billion by 2020.

Due to increase in the population of high income group, there is every likelihood that they will open a potential US$ 8 billion market for multinational companies selling costly drugs by 2015. This was estimated in a report by Ernst & Young. The domestic pharma market is estimated to touch US$ 20 billion by 2015. The healthcare market in India to reach US$ 31.59 billion by 2020. The sale of all types of pharmaceutical drugs and medicines in the country stands at US$ 9.61 billion, which is expected to reach around US$ 19.22 billion by 2012. Thus India would really become a lucrative destination for clinical trials for global giants. There was another report by RNCOS titled "Booming Pharma Sector in India" in which it was projected that the pharmaceutical formulations industry is expected to prosper in the same manner as the pharmaceutical industry. The domestic formulations market will grow at an annual rate of around 17% in 2010-11, owing to increasing middle class population and rapid urbanisation. Read More in Future Prospects of Indian Pharma Industry. Many MNCs are planning to drive the top line growth following India-centric strategies with branded generics and expanding the field force significantly. Mergers and Acquisitions are expected to continue, as India is being perceived as one of the key platforms for global launches of patented products. Indian companies too are placing themselves on the growth trajectory by tapping new markets, launching novel combinations, investing in larger field force sizes for improved reach / penetration, better management of product portfolio, strengthening brand building activities and innovative marketing strategies. With the growth opportunities appearing so buoyant, the companies need to strategize with sharp differentiated approach. Attracting and retaining talent to translate these grand strategies into reality, will be absolutely critical for the industry in the fast emerging scenario.

SWOT ANALYSIS - PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

Strengths
The strengths of the pharmaceutical industrys SWOT analysis document the internal industry components that are providing value, quality goods and services and overall excellence. The internal industry components can include physical resources, human capital or features the industry can control. For example, the pharmaceutical industrys strengths could include low operating overhead, firm fiscal management, low staff turnover, high return on investment (ROI), state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and an experienced research staff.

Weaknesses
The weaknesses of the pharmaceutical industrys SWOT analysis document the internal industry components that are not providing significant added value or are in need of improvement. The internal industry components can include physical resources, human capital or features the industry can control. For example, the pharmaceutical industrys weaknesses could include high-risk business modeling, disengaged Board of Directors, dated medical equipment, poor branding, low staff morale or diseconomies of scale.

Opportunities
The opportunities of the pharmaceutical industrys SWOT analysis document the external industry components that provide a chance for the industry (or factions of the industry) to grow in some capacity or gain a competitive edge. The external industry components should be environmental factors or aspects outside the industrys control, yet reflective of the business marketplace. For example, the pharmaceutical industrys opportunities could include recently published research, an increase in health-conscious consumers, increased demand for pharmaceutical products, changes in Food and Drug Administration standards or decreases in employee health care costs.

Threats
The threats of the pharmaceutical industrys SWOT analysis document the external industry components that could create an opportunity for the industry (or factions of the industry) to decline, atrophy or lose some competitive edge. The external industry components should be environmental factors or aspects outside the industrys control, yet reflective of the business marketplace. For example, the pharmaceutical industrys threats could include increased government regulation, a declining economy, increasing research and development (R&D) costs or a decrease in the global population