What is the long-term vision for Cyano Pharma over the next 5–10 years? Which business verticals will drive future growth, and what are currently the company’s strongest revenue-generating segments?
Cyano Pharma carries 60 years of trust, and my vision for the next decade is to honour that legacy while boldly evolving it. Today, our B2B pharmaceutical formulations business is our strongest revenue driver — it gives us a solid, reliable foundation that has stood the test of time.
Looking ahead, I see growth being driven by a deliberate and phased expansion into new verticals. Ayurveda is one area we are actively planning to enter in the future — India’s traditional medicine systems carry enormous global credibility, and a company with our pharmaceutical rigour is well-placed to bring real quality and scientific substantiation to that space.
Over the next 5–10 years, I want Cyano to be recognised not just as a pharma company, but as a science-backed, multi-vertical health enterprise — one that commands respect domestically and in WHO-recognised markets across the globe.
Are there plans for new manufacturing facilities, product categories, or technology investments?
Yes, and this is one of the most exciting chapters in Cyano’s journey right now. We are currently constructing a new manufacturing facility that will be WHO-GMP certified. This is a significant capital investment and a clear statement of intent — we are building for global markets, not just domestic scale.
On the product side, entering Ayurveda is firmly on our roadmap for the future. It is a category where we believe our pharmaceutical discipline and manufacturing standards can create something genuinely differentiated — but we are committed to entering it the right way, with the right infrastructure and quality foundations firmly in place.
These two moves — a WHO-GMP plant today, and an Ayurveda vertical on the horizon — define the next phase of Cyano’s growth story.
Are you planning to expand deeper into international markets? Which geographies look most promising?
International expansion is very much central to our growth strategy, and we are approaching it in a calibrated way. In the near term, we are actively evaluating West Africa as a priority market — and as we build that presence, we will naturally look to explore adjacent regions in the years ahead.
In the longer term, our ambition is to access WHO-recognised markets across the globe. That is a significant aspiration, and it is directly connected to our decision to construct a new WHO-GMP certified manufacturing plant. Global pharma markets demand quality consistency and regulatory compliance that cannot be retrofitted — you have to build it from the ground up. Our new plant is designed precisely with that global vision in mind.
How do you see AI and digital transformation shaping your company’s future?
We are already using AI extensively, and in areas that are delivering real, measurable operational value. Three specific areas stand out — data management, documentation, and our hiring process.
In data management and documentation, the impact has been immediate. Pharma is an intensely documentation-heavy industry, and AI tools have significantly reduced manual burden, improved accuracy, and freed up our teams to focus on higher-value work. In hiring, AI has brought more structure and consistency to how we evaluate candidates — which matters greatly as we scale.
What I find most compelling about AI is not just efficiency — it is the ability to make better decisions faster. As we expand into new markets and new verticals, the ability to synthesise information quickly and act on it with confidence will be a genuine competitive advantage. Companies that treat AI as a core operational capability rather than a peripheral tool will be the ones that lead.
Do you see stronger future growth in pharmaceuticals or beauty and wellness categories?
For Cyano, pharmaceuticals will remain our primary focus and our core strength for the foreseeable future. That is where our six decades of expertise lie, and that is the foundation we are continuing to invest in and scale — through our new WHO-GMP plant and our planned international expansion.
That said, I would be doing a disservice to the conversation if I did not acknowledge what is happening in the beauty and wellness space. The industry is growing at a remarkable pace, driven by a fundamental shift in how people think about health — from reactive treatment to proactive self-care.
Consumers today want products that sit at the intersection of efficacy and wellness, and that is creating real and lasting market opportunity. A company with pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing capabilities is naturally well-positioned to play in this space with credibility. It is not our current objective, but it is a space I watch closely and one that may well be part of Cyano’s longer-term story.
You’ve actively spoken about industry-academia collaboration. What gaps do you currently see between education and industry needs? Are pharma graduates industry-ready today?
This is a topic I feel very strongly about, and one I have moved from talking about to actually doing something about. The honest answer is that pharma graduates in India today are often very well-read but underprepared for the realities of professional life — and the gap is not primarily in knowledge, it is in thinking.
Four years of curriculum have largely been oriented around memorisation. What has been critically underdeveloped is logical reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical ability. Industry does not need people who can recite pharmacokinetics from memory; it needs people who can solve unfamiliar problems systematically.
I am cautiously optimistic, however. The Pharmacy Council of India has launched a revised, industry-aligned syllabus, and I believe we will begin to see a meaningful difference in the talent coming out of institutions over the next four years.
Communication is another significant gap. Many genuinely talented students cannot clearly articulate their ideas — in writing, presentations, or professional conversations. In a globalising industry, that is a serious handicap.
This is precisely why I launched MagnetJobs.in — an AI-powered platform built specifically to bridge the gap between pharma talent and pharma opportunity. It helps students develop interview skills, professional confidence, and access relevant opportunities, while helping companies identify suitable candidates more efficiently.
What has been your biggest learning as a business leader?
Joining a 60-year-old family business after working in a global MNC was one of the most humbling experiences of my professional life. At Nivea Beiersdorf, I had the comfort of clear processes, global best practices, and strong institutional support. At Cyano, I had legacy — which is both an asset and a responsibility.
My biggest learning has been this: respect what was built before you, but do not be imprisoned by it. There is immense wisdom in a business that has survived and grown for six decades. But there is also accumulated habit, comfort with the status quo, and natural resistance to change.
The leader’s job is to honour the foundation while building something new on top of it. That requires patience, humility, and the willingness to earn trust before demanding change.
I have also learned that leadership is far less about having the right answers and far more about asking the right questions — and creating an environment where people feel safe enough to answer honestly.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs entering pharma, cosmetics, or healthcare?
Three things I would tell my younger self.
First — go deep before you go broad. Spend time genuinely understanding one area of this industry, whether it is formulation science, regulatory affairs, supply chain, or clinical research. Breadth matters, but credibility is built on depth.
Second — do not underestimate the power of an unconventional combination. My path — pharma graduate, cosmetic technology master’s degree, FMCG R&D professional, and now leading a family pharma business while building a talent-tech venture — looked scattered at times. In hindsight, it is precisely that combination that allows me to connect dots others may miss.
Third — be patient with legacy, and bold with vision. Whether you are joining a family business or building something from scratch, understand that trust in healthcare is hard-won and easily lost. Build it deliberately. And then, from that foundation of trust, be genuinely bold about the future you want to create.
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