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Industry integrated education and strong academia-industry partnerships are shaping future ready pharma leaders in India, said Dr. Jagannath Sahoo, Dean, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management (SPPSPTM), SVKM's NMIMS University.
Indian pharmaceutical sector is becoming highly dynamic. Earlier, India was known as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ for generic medicines; today, it is moving at a rapid pace towards innovation, digital health, and regulatory science, he added.
As India moves towards pharmaceutical innovation and advancement, the minds of leaders in the industry are also rapidly evolving. Today’s leaders are experts not only in science but also in understanding global markets, creating technology, and managing patient needs, while focusing on ethics and regulation. This transformation is highly powered by strong partnerships between industry and academia, Dr Sahoo told Pharmabiz in an email.
Earlier, pharmaceutical education in India was primarily focused on classroom learning and theory. While this is essential, it often leaves a gap between scientific foundation and practical knowledge. Institutions across the country have been redesigning their programs and curriculum to include a better balance between academia and industry through collaborations, internships, and rotational guest lectures. By exposing budding graduates to simulation based training, live industry projects, and long internships, students are able to understand and cope with real business challenges early on in their careers, he noted.
Currently, our country is the 3rd largest pharma producer globally in volume. Now the objective is to convert volume to value. To achieve this, we have to ensure quality education and quality real time research. Industry-integrated education ensures that students learn not just how to develop a drug, but also understand the life-cycle of a product. This includes research and clinical trials, manufacturing, quality, compliance, and marketing. Students are also being exposed to evolving global standards, such as the US Food and Drug Administration, which prepares graduates to operate in international markets. This aligns with global benchmarks and strengthens India’s credibility in the industry, said Dr Sahoo.
Another important impact of combining academia and industry is the focus on providing skill sets beyond technical knowledge. Leadership, data analysis, problem-solving, functional collaboration, and ethical decision-making are central to creating successful leaders in the pharmaceutical space. Additionally, with the rise of artificial intelligence in the pharmaceutical industry, future leaders must be very comfortable working with technology, he said.
Thus, industry partnerships can help educational institutions stay ahead of the curve while ensuring that students are trained using current technology as opposed to outdated systems. These partnerships can also open up research opportunities. Research centres, funded projects, and innovation labs can allow students to work on real industry problems in real time. This will not only accelerate innovation, but also encourage practical problem-solving skills, he pointed out.
In the pharmaceutical industry, women form a strong base at the entry level, especially in technical roles and scientific research. However, their representation is limited at the senior leadership level. It is essential for educational institutions to create mentorship programmes, ensure structured industry exploration, offer flexible internships, and create real-time opportunities to bridge this gap. When institutional designs change along with structural policy, it will enable more women to move from technical roles to executive level positions.
As India attempts to position itself, not only as a global hub for manufacturing, but also for innovation and technology, the need for future ready leaders will only increase. Hence, it is essential that industry-integrated education is not just optional, but an absolute necessity, said Dr Sahoo.
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