The Indian School of Business (ISB) has partnered with Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers in India (OPPI) to introduce a Healthcare and Pharmaceutical elective, the first of its kind course in an Indian business school, by early 2007. This can be proved useful at the time pharma industry is going global and the country's existing talent pool is small compared to the scale of requirement.

The course aims to provide comprehensive insights into the dynamics of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. ISB is planning to tie up with industry veterans who will deliver lectures on industry relevant topics such as intellectual property rights management, pricing, supply chain management, business environment, marketing and sales force management, hospital management and biotechnology.

The elective is expected to impart a deeper understanding of industry specific core issues to students who are already from the healthcare sector, and will equip students who are unfamiliar with the sector with the right knowledge.

The past recruiters at ISB from pharmaceuticals and healthcare include Pfizer, Novartis, Glaxo Smithkline Beecham, Sanofi Aventis, Dr Reddy's, Lupin, Wockhardt, Astra Zeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Apollo Hospitals, IBM Healthcare, Ernst and Young, TCG Lifesciences, Baxter India, Accenture India besides other prominent companies.

ISB, which was established five years ago at Hyderabad, has also established a Healthcare Club, which acts as a focal point and attracts some of the best professionals from the healthcare space. The Club brings together students from pharma, hospitals, medical devices, biotechnology, healthcare in IT and consulting, on a platform enabling sharing of experiences and industry insights.