The 8th Annual General Conference of the Consortium of Indian Pharmaceutical Marketers and Manufacturers Association (CIPMMA), held in Puducherry on May 2-3 brought together close to 450 delegates from all over Tamil Nadu and provided a platform to deliberate on how to develop business strategies for pharmaceutical marketing, and expand the operations of the association in other states.

The speakers at various sessions in the two days meeting programmes shared fresh concepts and ideas with the members participated for developing their marketing talents and tap big opportunities in pharma trade.
 
While delivering the key note address, S V Veeramani, president of Indian Drugs Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA), highlighted the fundamentals required for a pharma marketer to bring up a profitable business firm in any segment of pharmaceuticals. He said any person with good business skill can become a pharma marketer as there is huge demand for pharmaceutical products every time and plenty of manufacturing companies are launching new products every day. A small scale pharma marketer can become a successful business man provided he concentrates on four major things. At the outset, he should select an ideal place for his marketing business and then he can plan the size of his operation. Thirdly he should decide on what segment of products to be introduced and the fourth one is identifying talented people to run the business. If a small marketer does have a vision about his growth plan, thorough knowledge about geographical situation while selecting the business area and aware of his financial sources, he will succeed in his project with no space for concern.
 
Talking about the need for financial stabilities, Veeramani, who is also the managing director of Fourrts India Laboratories, said while starting a marketing business as an SME, one should have a budgetary plan before entering into the business world and focus on one place, one product and target a limited number of people. A growth plan supported by financial stability will definitely escalate the entrepreneur into higher levels. So, the budding pharma marketers should generate long term plans for building up everlasting organisations. Manufacturing, marketing, human resources and finances are the four pillars of a successful business organisation, he pointed out.

While welcoming the Union government’s announcement that the year 2015 is the ‘year of bulk drugs’ and the Department of Pharmaceuticals’ (DoP) efforts to promote bulk drugs production, M Rajaratinam, chairman of Tamil Nadu IDMA, said his office has approached government of India with a request to set up a pharma park for bulk drugs in Tamil Nadu. If more and more bulk drug units come up in the state, the marketers in Tamil Nadu can diversify their business opportunities in various areas.

Highlighting the importance of Drugs and Cosmetics Act (D&C Act), S Abdul Khader, the director of Tamil Nadu drugs control department, who was the guest of honour in the inaugural session, wanted the marketers not to violate any provision of the Acts and Rules. He said several marketers and wholesalers often indulge in breaking up the packages of cartons, and sometimes cutting the strips of samples into several pieces. They are not allowed to do so as per the act. This kind of activities falls under the provisions of manufacturers’ licence.

The deputy director of drugs control department, K Sivabalan, said the request of the marketers’ association for separate licence cannot be considered as per D&C Act. Any amendment with regard to it is a policy matter of the central government.
 
On the first day of the AGM, CIPMMA passed a resolution demanding the union government for separate licence for their members. Sivakumar Bellan from ‘Simple and Smart Solutions’, and T Sathish, general manager (marketing) at Tablets India, Chennai made lectures on strategies of business growth.