Since its inception in 18th century, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has registered a phenomenal growth, both in manufacturing and research areas. During this long period, the industry has applied numerous revolutionary innovative strategies to maintain the pace of its progress, yet it cannot be categorized as an exemplary one. Various factors like strict government control, frequent but less effective amendments in government policies, geographically constraints, lack of motivation in new entrepreneurs, insufficiency of capital and funds and above all, the highly disorganized structure of Indian pharmaceutical industry are responsible for restricting and hampering the growth curve of the pharmaceutical industries.
Another vital factor influencing the growth adversely is negligible or momentary involvement of scholastic wisdom of academicians and research scholars in Industrial activities.
Present platform
The current scenario has opened new vistas of development for pharma industries. Several multi-national companies (MNCs) and potential Indian companies are coming forward to establish individual or joint ventures all over the country and India is now no more lagging behind in the race. Not only the metro cities, various new and previously unrecognized states are emerging as substrates for pharma world. Some relevant and recent examples are Baddi (Himachal Pradesh), Vapi (Gujarat) etc. Such states are proving themselves as "Pharma Capitals" due to favourable geographical and environmental conditions, motivating and liberal government policies, exclusive industrial tax free zones etc. The pharmaceutical industry is now becoming more research and development oriented due to obvious reasons and their increased inclination towards academic arena is quite natural.
Academia needs revolution
Though the pharma institutions providing higher education in India has witnessed an era of substantial progress in past few years, yet the condition cannot be described as satisfactory. AICTE, PCI and other governing bodies are granting permission for opening of new pharma colleges but the need of the hour is to put major thrust on improvements in the quality of higher education i.e. at post graduate and doctoral level. A mere mushrooming of pharma college is not going to serve the purpose. The present scenario recognizes the significant and active involvement of academicians and research scholars (including both students as well as faculty members) with the industry people to get more useful and fruitful results through mutual exchange of innovative ideas and thoughts.
Industry-academia network
With the proposed implementation of GATT agreement in India, it is going to become mandatory for pharma industry people to join hands with academicians and vice-versa, if the pharma people want to remain survived in the changing environment and circumstances. At this point, the authors would like to highlight the ample possibilities and hidden potential in both pharma industry and academics, which may serve as prompting factors to form a network between them.
● UGC and other funding agencies like CSIR, AICTE, ICMR etc may spare more funds to promote the R&D activities in higher educational institutes. Necessary infrastructure for a high level research may be recommended and financed by such bodies to certain institutions after routine inspections.
● The college authorities and management should motivate the P.G. and Ph.D. students to carry out their projects fully or partially in collaboration with industries so that they may gain required industrial exposure in advance. Moreover, the institutions will also be benefited via such interactions. It will also help to raise the standards of research work quality wise.
● The industry may engage the academicians and the research scholar to work for them in certain potential areas like an appropriate and up-to-date literature survey, conducting trial studies, developing newer and innovative technologies, conduction of trouble shooting sessions etc.
● In the changing circumstances in future only those industries are going to survive which will put major emphasis and thrust on R&D activities. They have to move in search a new lead molecule (which will be further developed as a therapeutically active drug) if they want to remain in race. To serve the purpose, they may exploit the intellectual potential of academicians and thus can obtain the maximum return with less investment.
● The big giants and MNCs of pharma world are spending huge amount from their turnover in establishing R&D units and activities of state-of-the-art technologies and the amount they are going to spend on academicians is just like a drop in the ocean but the profit they are going to get is large enough.
SWOT analysis
If we talk in management terms, there is an utmost need to carry out SWOT Analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) with regard to Industry-Academia network.
Strength
● The enormous manpower available in industry as well as industrial institutions can be exploited successfully for the benefit of each.
● A well-planned and good network between the two will ultimately lead to the improvement in the quality of the product/research work/service.
● Wider choices for research work will be made available and the extent of research work may be extended to certain unrecognized and unexplored areas.
● The availability of funds and the financial constraints will no more be the significant governing factors for research.
Weakness
● Carrying out timely bound projects and compulsion of meeting with the deadlines may bring down the quality of the research work.
● The industry may not involve the academicians in their most important and promising projects on the pretend of the trade secrets.
Opportunities
● The research scholars will get first hand experience of the industrial exposure in advance. Moreover, they will inculcate newer and innovative research skills and technologies.
● The industry will be able to take advantage as they will invest very less amount and will get very high return.
● Both parties will share some common advantages like improvement in the quality, development of newer research methodologies, exchange of newer ideas and thoughts etc.
Threats
● The attitude of the government towards such collaborations will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the collaboration. Strict regulatory control from government may hamper the movement.
● The institutions having management group of sound financial, social and political background may dominate and will force small players to go out of the game.
● Dispute may arise on commercial utilization of such collaborative work.
Conclusion
The authors are of the opinion that both the fields (Pharma Academics and Industries) have to take initiatives to turn such mentioned collaborative efforts into reality. The SWOT analysis carried out suggests that such collaborations are feasible and beneficial for both and no stone should be left unturned to motivate people to think and act in this direction so that the symbiotic efforts may produce fruitful results.
(The authors are with D.J. College of Pharmacy, Niwari Road, Modinagar-201204, UP)