Sohini Das &Amp; Vinay Umarji

Stories by Sohini Das &Amp; Vinay Umarji

Smaller towns witness strong growth in sales of medicines

Smaller towns witness strong growth in sales of medicines

Rediff.com   27 May 2022

Medicine sales grew at a fast clip in smaller cities like Madurai, Meerut, Agra, and Varanasi in the last 12 months. The domestic pharmaceutical market, overall, has grown 12.3 per cent in this period, according to data from IQVIA MAT for April. MAT refers to the moving annual turnover or the turnover of the last 12 months. The data further showed that the top 30 cities contributed around 32 per cent to sales.

20-30% new products may be open to USFDA inspection

20-30% new products may be open to USFDA inspection

Rediff.com   23 May 2022

With all major US export-oriented drug manufacturing plants in the country up for inspection in 2022, some estimates peg that at least 20-30 per cent of the new product launches lined up for the US will be subject to on-site inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The last two years saw limited physical inspections due to travel restrictions during the pandemic. "Pre-Covid, the frequency and number of inspections of manufacturing plants in India by USFDA had increased significantly," analysts from ICICI Securities Research noted. "With growing ANDA filings, especially for complex products. "We expect this trend to return with the environment normalising," analysts from ICICI Securities Research noted.

Why Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal have lower Covid mortality rates than India

Why Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal have lower Covid mortality rates than India

Rediff.com   16 May 2022

An analysis of WHO data shows that most of the countries with an older cohort of population and higher in the development index had a lower excess mortality rate than India.

Covid cases are being detected by accident

Covid cases are being detected by accident

Rediff.com   30 Apr 2022

'A patient visits for any other treatment, but a routine Covid test finds him to be positive.' 'Not only are they, but their whole family is also coming out to be positive.'

Indian pharma cos get a shot in the arm in $12-bn Australian drug market

Indian pharma cos get a shot in the arm in $12-bn Australian drug market

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2022

Indian drug firms get a shot in the arm in the $12 bn Australian drug market as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia agrees to accelerate the drug approval process in that country for Indian players who already have an approved plant and product from one of the stringent regulatory authorities like US, EU or Canada. From current sales of $340 mn, the Indian firms can see a significant upside in sales; felt Dinesh Dua, former chairman of the Pharmaceutical Exports Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), and the MD of Nectar Lifesciences. He highlighted that only 12 percent of the Australian drug market is generic, as against 80-90 per cent in the US or EU. Of this $1.5 bn generic drug market in India, Indian companies have a small share.

How UGC's 2-Degree Choice Will Help Students

How UGC's 2-Degree Choice Will Help Students

Rediff.com   25 Apr 2022

The decision to allow students to pursue two degrees simultaneously will boost their employability as it gives them the opportunity to concentrate on one mainstream undergraduate degree while enrolling in another with a vocational focus.

Modi will not accompany Boris Johnson on his first visit to Gujarat

Modi will not accompany Boris Johnson on his first visit to Gujarat

Rediff.com   20 Apr 2022

This is also because Johnson's visit will follow at the end of Modi's three-day visit to Gujarat for inaugurating projects, reports Vinay Umarji.

IIT alumni are opening their wallets wide to give back despite Covid-19

IIT alumni are opening their wallets wide to give back despite Covid-19

Rediff.com   18 Apr 2022

While the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur may have attracted among the highest donations by an individual (former student and IndiGo Airlines co-founder Rakesh Gangwal) at Rs 100 crore last week, IITs have largely seen such contributions rise over recent years, despite the Covid pandemic. According to Mahesh Panchagnula, dean, Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, in the last five years, the premier institute has raised more than Rs 135 crore under the endowment category of education alone. Despite the pandemic, there has been an increasing trend in endowment funding received at IIT Madras, with an average increase of about 20 per cent year-on-year across the last five years.

World University Rankings: Non-IITs in Top 100

World University Rankings: Non-IITs in Top 100

Rediff.com   11 Apr 2022

The Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences. The Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. Vinay Umarji explains why these two universities have made India proud.

Why WHO suspended supply of Covaxin through UN agencies

Why WHO suspended supply of Covaxin through UN agencies

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2022

Sources close to the development said the company had no further supply commitments to the WHO, and therefore, there was no suspension of any upcoming orders, reports Sohini Das.

Serum, Bharat Biotech halt Covid vaccine production as demand slips

Serum, Bharat Biotech halt Covid vaccine production as demand slips

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2022

Sources indicated that there were no fresh orders from the Government of India, and their supply commitments have ended as of March 31, reports Sohini Das.

Will CUET Take Focus Off Class 12 Boards?

Will CUET Take Focus Off Class 12 Boards?

Rediff.com   4 Apr 2022

Will it promote a CUET-centric coaching culture causing students to focus on the entrance rather than the Class 12th exams?

Hospital chain plans to put expectant parents on cloud nine

Hospital chain plans to put expectant parents on cloud nine

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2022

No expecting mother ever needs to travel for more than 30 minutes to reach one of their hospitals, believes the Cloudnine group.

India's pharma cos hit by 'China-made disruptions'

India's pharma cos hit by 'China-made disruptions'

Rediff.com   31 Mar 2022

With intermittent disruptions in the supply chain of raw materials from China, the Indian pharma industry has braced itself with bigger inventory. Even smaller drug makers are now carrying a month of buffer stock of key raw materials, said industry insiders. The lockdown in various Chinese provinces, including Shanghai, is likely to delay shipments by two weeks to a month, said domestic players. Shipments are critical for the Indian drug industry, which imports 70 per cent of its raw material from China.

Ukraine Returnee Medical Students' Dilemma

Ukraine Returnee Medical Students' Dilemma

Rediff.com   21 Mar 2022

The National Medical Commission has allowed graduates back from Ukraine to complete internships in India, but more concessions to accommodate students will require tweaks in the NMC Act.

Ukraine Returned Students Seek Secure Future

Ukraine Returned Students Seek Secure Future

Rediff.com   14 Mar 2022

National Medical Commission regulations prohibit Indian medical students overseas to transfer programmes from one university to another mid-way.

IIM grads get higher salaries, international offers

IIM grads get higher salaries, international offers

Rediff.com   2 Mar 2022

'IIM Ahmedabad has seen one of the best placement seasons ever and this change can be attributed to the markets opening up after the pandemic.'

India Inc braces for fallout of Russia-Ukraine crisis

India Inc braces for fallout of Russia-Ukraine crisis

Rediff.com   23 Feb 2022

Stocks of Indian companies with exposure to Europe fell on Tuesday amid concerns about the impact on their sales in case the Russia-Ukraine crisis worsens and the US and its allies impose economic sanctions on Russia. While top conglomerates, including Reliance Industries, the Tata group, and Aditya Birla Group, said they did not have any significant exposure to Russia, executives of some of the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and tea companies said they were monitoring the situation closely as they earned substantial income from the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered troops into two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine after announcing that Russia would recognise their independence.

Indians want to study in Germany, Italy, Ireland...

Indians want to study in Germany, Italy, Ireland...

Rediff.com   24 Jan 2022

One in five Indian students now prefer new and unconventional study destinations like Ireland, Turkey and Spain. The number of Indian students in Germany grew by 20.85 per cent in the winter semester to stand at over 25,000.

Number of Covid symptomatic kids jump, post-recovery issues a concern

Number of Covid symptomatic kids jump, post-recovery issues a concern

Rediff.com   14 Jan 2022

While the infection has been mild in most reported cases, those below two years of age are showing signs of acute infection.