Even as the global financial meltdown has forced the industries across the board to cut down their workforce, the pharmaceutical industry in India is still keeping its doors ajar for the experienced human resources mainly in sales and brand management divisions, it is learnt.

Though the recession has made the industry reluctant from recruiting the fresher, many of the multinationals and domestic majors are filling the replacement jobs, according to pharma headhunting firms. Some of these human resource companies are expecting more attrition in the next two months, as the pharma companies like any other industry would put off or reduce the annual increment for employees.

"We feel that the trend has already started, as many of the workers assume the employer's plan to shelve or reduce the percentage of increments. The employees would be forced to look for other opportunities due to their personal financial problems and we are getting a large number of resumes from employed people," said Bhadresh H Khamar, CEO, Kegan Pharma Resources, Ahmedabad. The trend will see its peak in the next two months as many of the companies are expected to announce its annual increments in the beginning of the new financial year.

The replacement opportunities in sales and brand management still exist, though the financial meltdown has affected a major share of recruitments in general in the industry. Many of the private limited companies like the Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Intas Pharmaceuticals, Unichem Labs along with the pharma biggies including Daiichi Ranbaxy and Dr Reddy's Lab and multinationals like GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Sharp & Dohme and sanofi-aventis have already increased or declared strengthening of their field force recently, informed sources.

However, some sources commented that the attrition level is unlikely to go up much, as the employees are fearful of getting another job in these tougher times. "The human resources opportunities in pharma have not affected much compared to the other industries. But we are not expecting any mass exodus of employees in the sector though the increment rates are next to nil, because they are aware of the crisis," said Sanjay Shetty, director - operation with the Mumbai-based human resources company EmmayHR.

The demand crunch in the market may affect the field level employees in pharma sector in future, speculated another source. However, the decision of pharma majors to penetrate more into rural market may give an option to these employees to get a replacement in such companies, he added.