Pharma Sector: Needs research abilities & inquisitive minds!

HUMAN beings and ailments go together, so medicines would always be in demand, jests one of our experts when quizzed why Pharma remains an evergreen sector. Though growth rates have peaked, the sector always has consistent demand for manpower. Research shows that production is wherein maximum employment (50-65 percent) happens in this sector.

And being a knowledge-intensive sector, over 8 percent of the total employed would have tertiary degrees. The sector values knowledge and expertise said Dr.Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and MD of Biocon Ltd, in an interview to Careers360.

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Where are the jobs?
Pharma graduates can go into production, marketing and sales, academics, quality control or assurance departments of pharmaceutical companies like Cipla, Ranbaxy, Dr. Reddy's etc., in Neutraceutical companies like Dabur, Zandu etc, in Biotech companies like Biocon, Bharat Serum, Health Insurance companies like Bajaj Allianz, Apollo Munich etc. With over 4.7 million professionals in demand over the next 10 years the sector is a consistent employer. Quips, Anand, there is only so much medicine that one could consume.

What are the skills?
This sector demands skills that require long drawn preparation like acquisition of degrees, and involve highly technical or commercial operations. So higher qualifications like MPharm matter a lot. “Research abilities are crucial, so is an inquisitive mind,” says Kris Lakshmikant, CEO, Headhunters.

Siddhant Rana, 25 M. Pharmacy Lovely Professional University, Punjab I decided to pursue Master’s and specialise in Phytochemistry and Pharmacognosy. This particular branch is study of medicines attained from natural products. Right now I am in the fourth (and final) semester. The reason I chose this stream was because plant life, an unending source of raw material for medicines, have lesser side effects compared to allopathic drugs.   My dad is in pharmacy business and I was already broadly exposed to pharmaceutical industry and desired to take a step further. I plan to be a lecturer post my Master’s. But the students who want to take up a job post Bachelor’s or Master’s have lot of scope.Salary levels go high when one enters the job market after specialised studies. For instance, in marketing one can start with designation of Product manager, where he/she would be in charge of managing one particular product; its sales, the promotional strategy and so on. Here the minimum salary is about Rs 25,000 and can go up to Rs 45, 000 and above