Panel Discussion: Leadership playbook for scaling pharma businesses
The final panel discussion of the day, titled ‘Leadership playbook for scaling pharma businesses,’ brought together a lineup of industry veterans who are actively shaping India’s pharma growth story. Moderated by Prashant Sharma, CTO, Zydus Lifesciences, the session offered a deep dive into the strategies, mindsets, and practices required to scale pharma businesses sustainably and successfully.
Joining him on the panel were Sandeep Raktate, President, Operations, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Naresh Gaur, EVP- Operations, Stallion Laboratories, Gaurav Kaushik, MD & CEO, Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals and Rahul Songire, VP- Central Quality, Zydus Lifesciences. Together, they mapped out a compelling playbook for Indian pharma’s next phase of growth.
The panelists discussed how scaling in pharma is not just about expanding footprints or numbers but also about building resilient, compliant, digitally enabled organisations that can thrive in a volatile world driven by global competition and regulatory scrutiny. The conversation addressed crucial aspects including technology adoption, talent development, operational excellence, and leadership ethos.
The experts underlined that forecasting and demand planning in pharma, must evolve into a more evidence-based, strategic function. They highlighted how advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are playing a critical role in improving forecasting accuracy, and helping companies better align their production, supply chain, and market launch strategies.
The panelists also recommended that companies must invest in building strong data foundations and predictive capabilities to meet market demands. Another important point discussed was the importance of a strong User Requirements Specification (URS).
The panelists agreed that a well-defined URS is crucial for operational efficiency, and to ensure regulatory compliance, reduce risks, and guide the overall design and validation processes.
They also advised that leadership involvement in the creation of robust URS frameworks is vital since it drives clarity, accountability, and long-term value.
The panelists emphasised that effective leadership in pharma means leading by example. They stressed that leaders must thoroughly review all documents, guidance, and processes themselves, rather than delegating important aspects blindly.
This in turn, will foster informed decision-making, strengthen compliance, and drive accountability in teams.
A key takeaway from the session was the urgent need to invest in developing talent. The leaders urged pharma professionals to continuously upgrade their competencies, embrace cross-functional learning, and strengthen quality systems.
They noted that organisations that prioritise employee development alongside process innovation to drive continuous improvement.
While digitalisation is often touted as a game changer, the panelists stressed that pharma organisations must honestly assess their digital maturity, identify existing gaps, and make targeted investments in digital transformation initiatives.
Strategic digitalisation, they said, can unlock horizontal growth, drive operational efficiencies, enhance decisionmaking, and create long-term enterprise value.
The session concluded with a message: scaling pharma businesses in today’s world requires more than operational scaling — it demands visionary leadership, a strong foundation in compliance and quality, investment in people, and smart adoption of technology