http://www.expresspharmaonline.com/20080131/market03.shtml
59th IPC in the city of temples and pharmacists
Like every year, the recently held Indian Pharmaceutical Congress 2007 also successfully brought professionals, experts and students of the pharma industry under one banner. However this time, the ambience of the venue added its own dimension, as many pharma professionals took a walk down the memory lane of their alma mater. Sushmi Dey finds out what was the buzz all about…
It has been 75 years since Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and Professor M L Schroff took the initiative to establish India's first institution for pharmacy education in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1932. For BHU, situated in Varanasi, a city characterised as the oldest surviving city of the world, there could not have been a better way to celebrate its platinum jubilee. The historic university welcomed the pharmaceutical industry from not just all over India but also from abroad to organise the 59th Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) on its campus.
The gathering
The 59th IPC show was inaugurated on 20th of December and spanned three days. As in the past, the event was predominantly targeted at students who are going to shape the future of the industry. However, the show also attracted large numbers of middle and senior management and pharmacy professionals. The event's success was well evident from the crowd it attracted. According to Atul Nasa, Joint Secretary, Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA) and President of the Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA), more than 500 people visited the exhibition each day. Besides, 3000 plus delegates attended seminars and conferences organised during the event. BHU had booked 2350 square meters of area for IPC 2007, where 140 exhibitors showcaseed their latest products and technologies. "The budget for IPC was around Rs 2.5 crores for 5000 delegates," informed Nasa.
Activities
The opening ceremony was witnessed by more than 5000 delegates and visitors. H P Tipnis, President, IPC presided over the inaugural functions. Beside other delegates from reputed pharma companies like Pfizer, Ranbaxy, Wockhardt and Bilcare, delegates from several ministries also attended the show. Addressing the show, Maharashtra Food and Health Minister, Harshwardhan Patil invited pharma companies to invest more in his state. He also informed the audience about the new biotechnology zone being set up in Maharashtra.
In addition, many scientific presentations on topical issues were organised during the show. A host of topics starting from Pharma Vision 2020 laid by former President of India, APJ Abdul Kalam, to opportunities and challenges in preclinical development and multinational clinical trials in India, were discussed in detail during the show. Experts from India and several other countries like US, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia also delivered their views on issues like regulatory affairs, pharmacopoeias of the future, recent advances in natural products in India and drug discovery and development in the country.
Homecoming event
Besides celebrating the profession of pharmacy, this IPC was also special for many pharma professionals who got a chance to revisit their alma mater, BHU during IPC. On the other hand, it was also a home coming for the two associations of IPCA—the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) and the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA).
IPCA also felicitated many stalwarts of the Indian pharma industry who have made a significant difference and elevated the industry to a global level. Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman of Wockhardt was felicitated with the K C Chatterjee award. Likewise, Mohan Bhandari, Chairman and Managing Director of Bilcare received the Life-time Achievement Award. John L LaMattina, Senior Vice-President Pfizer and President Pfizer Global Research and Development presented the award to Bhandari. "I am delighted that finally the industry is recognising our endeavour in research and packaging and other critical areas of services. With this kind of recognition, we shall move ahead to make novel innovations which would benefit the healthcare industry," said Bhandari as he received this honour. Other awards like the G P Srivastava and M L Khorana awards were also given during the conference.
Future plans
"This year IPC has been a very successful show but we always try to learn from each year's experience and improvise on that," said Nasa. IPC will be 60 years old in 2008 and will be celebrating its golden jubilee in New Delhi, the capital of India. "IPC 2008 is undoubtedly going to be a special event. We are expecting minimum of 8000 delegates. It is going to be a grand success next year," predicts Nasa. The organisers plan to implement some changes in the event to make the next show more systematic and organised.
"Although, IPC 2007 has been an excellent show, we have taken note of certain things which need improvement. For instance, the inaugural function this year took more than three hours. We feel it should be more compact, systematic and up to the mark. The scientific sessions also need a bit of improvement as far as organising is concerned," Nasa pointed out. IPCA also plans to increase the budget by 10 to 15 percent next year subject to increase in charges of venue, accommodation and other facilities in the capital.
sushmi.dey@expressindia.com