At a time when thousands of management students are coming out in the job market in the country every year, the Indian pharma industry is faced with a rather unusual problem of acute shortage of quality management professionals, forcing the industry to train the MBA graduates as per the requirements of pharma industry.

The shortage of employable management professionals is specific in areas like marketing, advertising and product management.

As there is a shortage of management people who are suitable for the specific requirements of pharma industry, the pharma companies are now focusing on the development of their own management people by providing special training to the employees. The companies are spending a lot of time and money to train the newly incorporated MBA graduates.

Though many of the industry people do not want to come to the open on the issue, they have agreed that they used to provide special training for their employees to meet the requirements of pharma industry. They also added that the problem of employable management people is not specific to the pharma industry only, but common to all kinds of industries in India. However, compared to the other industries shortage is more acute in the pharma industry. The pharma industry also faces the challenge of transitional leadership, sources added.

When contacted Parvindar Kohli, HR manger, Nicholas Piramal Ltd, said, "It is difficult to comment that there is a shortage of employable management people in the pharma industry." However, she agreed that their company is providing nine months' training to the newly incorporated management people or MBA graduates.

Commenting on the shortage of employable management people in the pharma industry, a senior HR person of Sandoz Private Ltd said that the problem of shortage is not specific to the pharma industry alone. It is common for all the industries in India. The reason for the shortage is that the supply of management people is not enough to meet the demand, he said.

On the request of anonymity, a source in the Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd said, "The pharma industry in India is facing shortage of employable management people and our company used to provide 12 months training to the employees to make them fit for the requirements of pharma industry."

Talking to Pharmabiz, Indian Institute of Pharmaceutical Marketing, Lucknow, Director Rishi Mohan said, "pharma industry in India is facing shortage of employable management people for years. The key reason for the problem is that most of the people who have employed in the pharma companies don't have the pharma background. And companies used to recruit people with a mere graduation. As a result companies have to spend a lot of time and money to make them fit for the requirements of pharma industry."