The Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) held its fifth annual HR summit in the city recently. The participants were drawn together to discuss this year’s theme ‘3D - Future of Pharma’ in the context of the growing importance and impact of diversity, digitalization and design thinking in brands.

In his inaugural address, Dr Shailesh Ayyangar, president, OPPI and managing director, India & vice president, South Asia, Sanofi, said, “On a daily basis, India is experiencing disruptive changes with many innovations that constantly increase competition and challenges in the economy. In the healthcare sector these challenges are further intensified due to the stringent and highly vigilant regulatory environment that we operate in. This requires us to think differently and be ahead of the curve. Today, I find that ‘upskilling’ is on the agenda of every pharma CEO in our country. Indeed, for any millennial who wants to build a competitive edge and a career by making a difference in the lives of people, the pharmaceutical industry is the most apt for them to experience these opportunities and challenges.”

The Summit included an interactive and engaging discussion on the role of digitalisation in the pharma world and the impact on patient care.

Commenting on the special session on diversity focused on gender, Kanchana TK, director general, OPPI, said, “While diversity goes beyond gender, we at OPPI continue to focus on improving the gender quotient for the second year in a row as we believe that the ratios must improve drastically. Much has been said about gender diversity positively impacting bottom-lines. What we need to see more of, are gender-friendly policies and focused hiring that encourage women to make this industry their preferred career choice.”