Ajit Singh, Chairman of ACG Worldwide and former president, Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA) needs no introduction to the Indian pharmacist community. As an active organizer and industry professional, his contribution to the growth of the industry in the last few decades cannot be ignored. Ajit Singh shares some of his experiences related to the earlier IPCs, which he views as a celebration of the profession of pharmacy. Excerpts from the interview:


Being a senior industry leader associated with the Indian Pharmaceutical industry over the last few decades, how do you assess the achievements of the industry over the years?
The achievements of the Indian Pharmaceutical industry are really impressive.And there is so much more potential yet to be realized.India has moved from reverse engineering to basic research.

If you look at one half of planet earth and scan your eyes from Ghana on the West Coast of Africa, across Asia, to Australia at the other far end, there is no other country that has achieved what India has, in terms of the development and manufacture of bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals.

Lower costs of personnel are a reason but perhaps less important than innovative and technical skills, and flexibility.Worldwide pharmaceutical patents will need to be really sound to withstand the Indian intellectual Juggernaut.

Many global companies are setting up or expanding their operations in India, as are domestic companies.In the years to come, India will be prouder of its pharmaceutical industry and profession than of IT.

Kindly elucidate the factors that contributed to making IPC an annual event.What specific contributions Indian Pharmaceutical Congress makes for pharmacy profession and to the pharma industry every year ?
The Indian Pharma Congress is perhaps the largest pharma event on the Asian Continent in terms of number of participants and complexity of events.It is also a celebration of the profession of pharmacy. It's a mega-event that brings together many constituents of the pharma industry in a different city location each year, with a cast of thousands.

The IPC was one of the first to hold vendor exhibitions and to bring in renowned speakers.This assured it a loyal, almost permanent, following.It was at IPC exhibitions that the world first discovered the availability of world class, value for money pharma machines and ancillaries made in India. The IPC annual awards to individuals for contribution to Pharmacy and the Pharma Industry are regarded as a pinnacle of professional achievement.

IPC has become a mega annual event for everyone connected with the pharmaceutical sector in India especially since last 5 to 6 years.How this transformation has taken place ?
The transformation of IPC to a mega annual event has largely been a matter of leadership.Most transformations usually are. The IPC has grown and matured and become a learning organization in addition to organizing a learning event.Its corporate memory and past experience is now better captured and transmitted year to year, from LOC to LOC.SOPs for various activities are coming into place.Having a dedicated Secretariat of the IPA at the Bombay College of Pharmacy has played an important role.The exhibitions also have become much more professionally organized, after FICCI was given the opportunity to administer this complex event for some years. Their much increased annual monetary contribution, I believe, helped transform the financial well-being of the IPC.

This year the IPC is expected to further transform itself. The partnering with the CPhI to enlarge the exhibition and also the excellent educational programme right till the end of the final day, are examples.The number of International exhibitors and business visitors should surpass all records.The members of the LOC under the indefatigable leadership of Subodh Priolkar and Dr Venkateswarlu deserve our admiration and congratulations.

Although IPC will be completing 58 years this year, several top executives of big pharma companies do not visit IPC.What comment you have on this ?
It is has been so that several top executives and big Pharma Companies do not visit the IPC. Also that Pharma andBulk Drug Companies do not take stalls at the exhibitionunlike, say, at the FIP overseas annual event.These lacunae are likely to be resolved with the further transformation of the IPC this year.

An issue that needs consideration is the non-participation by the distributive trades (other than when the All India Organisation of Chemist and Druggists built and displayed a model pharmacy, and the half day seminar for the pharma trade organized by them, during the IPC Golden Jubilee 1998).A great opportunity also awaits the IPC if it can make itself a bridgehead between the Regulatory Authorities and Industry, as is done by the ISPE and similar organizations in the West.

Kindly share with us some of the most memorable events you have experienced in your association with IPC.
There are far too many memorable events to list them all here. However, here are a few
a. the presence of the President of India at the IPC at Ahmedabad, thanks to the far sighted leadership of late Ramanbhai Patel and by Indubhai Modi.Also the presence of the Prime Minister at the IPC at New Delhi, arranged by late Dr Parvinder Singh, our Pharma visionary.
b. the first really large exhibition at the IPC held at the IIT Mumbai, and led by the iconic Chandu Shahani of Klenzaids.
c. the joint major annual events of the 50th IPC along with the Federation of Asia Pharmaceutical Associations (19th FAPA), when over 300 overseas participants from Japan, Australia, South East Asia and Middle East attended the IPC for the first time.
d. The presence of the Chairman of United Laboratories, Philippines,Joselito Campos, a great educationist, philanthropist and industrialist and his top management team, when he delivered the K C Chatterjee oration at the IPC.
e. The visit of Dr Simon Campbell, inventor of Viagra, to deliver a key note address at the IPC when he was mobbed by the media from the minute he set foot in India.
f. The Nobel Prize winner, Sir James Black who had accepted an IPC invitation, but finally could not attend due to a leg injury - but gave his personalized IPC speech through electronic media.
g. The publication of the book of collected speeches of past IPC Presidents.
h. The creation of an operating model pharmacy, with a license to dispense, at the IPC and, finally
i. the issuance of a postage stamp by the Government of India in honour of Pharmacists on the occasion ofthe 50th IPC.

The joint efforts of the Local Organising Committee this year will create more "memorable" experiences, events we all look forward to.