Haf Cennydd is the Global Brand Director at UBM Live, organizer of CPhI India event. Her role includes strategy, planning and operations of the pharmaceutical events in India, China and the United States, as well as global responsibilities for the fast-growing CphI conference portfolio. She has an extensive background in event management and specializes in working with the strategy and planning of global events. Haf Cennydd in an e-mail interview with AD Pradeep Kumar, while giving an overview of the CPhI India event, also talks about the Indian pharma industry as well as the ingredients sector.
What are your views on the Indian pharma market in general?
It is undeniable that the Indian pharma market is a key contender in the global pharma industry as the result of the country putting great time, effort and investment into competing with established markets like the US and Japan. At UBM Live, we have had a particularly personal look into these efforts through our strong partnership with the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) and the resulting work with delegates of the Indian government throughout 2012. Through this partnership, what has resonated with us most clearly is the Indian pharma market's focus on quality, affordability and ease of partnership for the greater global market and how this impacts our customer base in a positive way.
We have tied these messages into our event and worked to make sure that CPhI India provides a unique platform for our customers to make lucrative connections in the country. This is a prime market to expand current business relationships or create new ones, especially now, when cost structures in India present a great opportunity for companies that are looking to find new partners for drug development. As Dr. Jay Shinde noted in his blog piece titled "India: The new destination for clinical trials", the average costs involved in the process of drug discovery in the US (from inception to completion) is ball-parked at $800 million. This cost can be reduced by 55 per cent when conducted in India. Additionally, many recently announced tax incentives by the Indian government are targeted at driving big pharma towards the Indian market.
What are your comments on the pharma ingredients sector of India?
Total Indian API production is forecast to increase an average of 18.5 per cent yearly to reach $11billion by 2015 (82 per cent generic APIs, 18 per cent branded), making it the fastest growing API-supplying country in the world. This is complemented by the fact that India is currently the largest exporter of generic (biosimilar) formulations, in terms of volume, globally, with the biosimilars market expected to grow at a rate of 20 per cent through 2015. Additionally, the country has made it clear that they have an aggressive growth strategy, which includes a drive to diversify exports to current and new destinations and place India in the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical markets.
Please elaborate on the theme and highlights of this year?
Our main theme stems from the ethos of the CPhI brand as a whole, which is to drive growth and innovation in the pharma industry across the globe. CPhI and P-MEC India do this by providing a leading global event format that covers every step of the supply chain from drug discovery to finished dosage. We also offer a unique platform for the most active buyers to identify business opportunities and meet with potential partners, while also having access to networking and educational features that are unmatched. All of it leads into our desire to see the industry move forward for the greater good.
To what extent have the co-located events such as P-MEC, ICSE, BioPh events helped in the growth of CPhI events?
The addition of the co-located shows over the years have expanded the coverage of the CPhI brand to adjacent markets to better serve the global pharma community. We pay close attention to customer needs and market trends and provide access to growing, specialized sectors through co-located shows. The goal is to provide an event that ensures return on investment for exhibitors and attendees. This means making sure that we have offerings like P-MEC India for pharmaceutical machinery and technology, ICSE for outsourced and contract services and BioPh to focus on the biopharma market.
What is the expected participation this year?
Attendance is strong, projected to be over 27,000 on-site high-quality buyers from around the world actively looking for pharmaceutical ingredients, machinery and equipment, biopharmaceuticals and outsourcing solutions.
More than 900 exhibitors covering ingredients (including APIs, generic APIs, intermediates, fine chemicals, finished dosage, excipients, formulations and more) and contract services, as well as innovative pharmaceutical machinery, laboratory equipment and analytical technology, including 45 new P-MEC exhibitors to the event
How was last year's event in terms of participation and business volume generated?
Last year featured over 27,000 attendees including participation from key industry companies such as BASF India, Lupin, Piramal Healthcare, Merck, SGS Life Science and Aurobindo Pharma. Our feedback from attendees and exhibitors alike were very positive, indicating that CPhI and P-MEC provide an efficient and effective platform for the most active buyers to identify business opportunities and meet with potential partners to move the industry forward.
Why is Mumbai the preferred destination for holding CPhI and P-MEC India events?
Mumbai is the commercial capital of India and is centrally located, providing easy access for our attendees. Additionally, it is one of the few cities that feature a venue with the proper infrastructure and accommodations for the large size of CPhI and P-MEC India. Specifically, the Bombay Convention Centre is ideally situated close to hotels and entertainment, in addition to being along the Western Express Highway in Goregaon, around 10 minutes from the airport and close to the heart of the city by foot or train.