This year's program has been meticulously crafted to encourage thought-provoking discussions, addressing current challenges such as skill gaps, competitive knowledge deficiencies, IP trends, and the evolving landscape of project management. The event will feature expert-led creative sessions, real-world case studies, interactive Q&A sessions, practical soft skill development, and networking opportunities.
With the theme of "Tells & Tales," this year's edition offers a unique blend of sessions, experiences, and personal stories. Attendees will gain insights from speakers who share their challenges and triumphs, providing inspiration for personal growth. This immersive approach ensures a promising learning and development experience beyond traditional conferences.
Secure your spot at the 8th Annual Pharma Project & Portfolio Management to experience genuine learning and problem-solving. Your participation will not only foster your personal growth but also play a pivotal role in driving your company's success."
15+ Speakers
150+ Delegates
Interactive Panel Discussions
Case Studies & Live Examples
Guided Networking Opportunities
Project & Portfolio Management Tool Kits
John Robert is a passionate advocate for project leadership, bringing over two decades of diverse experience in project management, engineering, and operations.
With a career that spans leadership roles in renowned pharmaceutical companies, John has cultivated a deep understanding of delivering results in both large-scale
infrastructure projects and complex research programs.
As the Co-Founder of Moonshot Systems, John is on a mission to revolutionize pragmatic project management and leadership development. His vision is to empower organizations
and individuals with tools, strategies, and skills to drive success in every project they undertake.
Before founding Moonshot Systems, John served as Vice President at Dr. Reddy’s Lab, Sun Pharma, Jubilant, Hospira, and Shasun, where he led high-impact initiatives.
A chemical engineer and MBA by education, John is also an accomplished author, having penned insightful books on project management and leadership:
1. Spiral Staircase Project Management: A Framework to Succeed Complex-Cognitive Projects
2. Projects @ Relay Race: Deliver projects faster than you ever imagined
3. Leadership Journey of a Project Manager
4. Corporate Gladiator’s Handbook of Project Management
5. 2-Minute Stories - Business Parables for Managers and Leaders
In 2023, John was recognized as one of the Top 10 PMO Leaders by the prestigious PM Global Awards. His unwavering commitment to advancing project management excellence and
leadership principles has solidified his reputation as a trusted advisor and a respected thought leader in the industry.
Mike’s career spans nearly 35 years in the pharma industry specializing in all aspects of portfolio management, new product introduction and project management. He received his training in Pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he earned his B. Pharm degree. He defines himself as an organizational integrator and seasoned consultant with broad experience in dynamic global environments. He served at Teva Pharmaceuticals for 24 years in increasingly senior positions in Generic R&D and Portfolio Management, where he led the Portfolio Management team for Teva Europe, and finally reached the position of Vice President Generic R&D for the Teva International Group. After leaving Teva he joined Taro Pharmaceuticals (a Sun Pharma company) as Group Vice President, Portfolio Management where he created this role and established processes for candidate selection, R&D project management, and global launch management. In addition, he was responsible for the project management of Sun Pharma’s R&D, where he was responsible for creating the Project Management function, introducing Critical Chain Project Management and led the implementation effort. Since leaving Taro in 2017, he has been working as a consultant, providing strategic portfolio management guidance to generic pharma and API companies as well as strategic biotech consulting and guidance to numerous startups in the pharma, device, cosmetics, and supplement space.
Jayesh Khatri has been serving the life science industry for the last 20 years and has transitioned from technical to techno-commercial to commercial roles successfully. He has been known for his project management skills where he demonstrated successfully delivering various projects for the companies he worked for. He has unique experience in working on API as well as formulation on R&D side being technical as well as project management side being techno-commercial and Business development side being commercial. He believes in the “OneHealth” concept and has strong experience in working with Human as well as Animal health companies. Currently he is serving for Ashish Life Science as a Chief Operating Officer where he is responsible for overall operations of ALS including Supply Chain, R&D, Mfg, Quality, Project Mgmt, Regulatory and global service business P&L mgmt and regulatory markets business development. He is a part of the core leadership team of ALS. Before joining ALS, He has worked for Dr.Reddy's, Cipla, Glenmark, Atul and a couple of other companies. He has recently appeared as top 10 COO of India by CEO Insights in their magazine.
Sushil Barkur is an expert in creating and executing result oriented L&D, TM & OD strategy to support overall business strategy and business growth. He has 23 years of learning experience.
He has proven expertise in setting up and running Training, Learning and Development department in large size Pharmaceutical Companies. Currently he is working as Associate Vice President; L&D, TM & OD
function for Alkem Laboratories. He is adept in using technology in Learning & Development space.
He is passionate about enabling people to excel in their personal and professional lives. He played an instrumental role in cultural transformation and positioned Alkem
to win Great Place to Work award 3 years in a row.
Sushil Barkur is an M.Pharm, PGCHRM (XLRI), ICF certified Coach, Certified psychometrician, Certified Accelerated Learning Designer and Facilitator, Certified in Dr. Jack Phillips ROI model
for L&D, Certified Facilitator of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Neuro Linguistic Practitioner master practitioner from American Board of NLP , Member of International
Association of Facilitator (IAF) and Association of Talent Development (ATD).
Few Industry Awards and Recognition:
1. Chief learning officer of the year 2022 by TISS- Leap Vault
2. Chief Learning Officer 2023- L&D Vision and Innovation awards
3. Best Sales Enablement Programme- 2022 Tiss-Leap Vault
4. Best use gamification in the Learning 2023 L& D Vision and Innovation
5. Best L&D Team of Year 2022- TISS-Leap Vault
6.Best L&D Team of Year 2023- L&D Vision and Innovation
With 13+ years of experience in business process and GTM strategy transformation, Vishnu leads Asana's Channel Business in South Asia, collaborating with strategic partners to transform how businesses work and scale growth through digitalization. Originally from India, Vishnu holds an MBA and undergraduate degree from National Technological University of Singapore (NTU), and resides in Singapore with his family.
Sandeep Koul, General Manager - Development Portfolio at Wockhardt, brings over 19 years of experience in Multinational Pharmaceuticals and Contract Research Organizations. With more than a decade in managerial roles overseeing Project Management, Clinical Operations, and Vendor Management, he boasts a proven track record of completing projects on time and within budget constraints. He has been recognized for his excellence with multiple accolades, including the "Pride of Wockhardt Award" in 2020 and 2021, the "100% Achievement Star Performer Award" in 2018, and various other honors throughout his career, underscoring his commitment and contributions to the field.
With over 40 years of experience, Mr. Sanjay Bhanushali is a highly respected veteran and opinion leader in the Indian pharmaceutical industry.
Having worked across cross-functional domains in Cipla & Dr.Reddy’s - two of India’s largest pharmaceutical companies, Sanjay idolizes invaluable
knowledge & business acumen.
Pharmacy graduate, from Mumbai University, Sanjay joined Cipla in 1984 as an Apprentice. In a span of about 14 years,
Sanjay worked across the functions of Technical Operations, Supply Chain and Quality Assurance, mastering the art of shop-floor management. He was
instrumental in the design & establishing state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, while leading Projects and Engineering.
In 1998, Sanjay joined Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. at Hyderabad. In the 13 years that followed, he assumed multiple roles including Technology transfer and Corporate HR.
Sanjay’s next assignment, at DRL’s UK subsidiary, ushered him into International Business Development. Later, Sanjay went on to lead the functions
of Global Alliance Management, Global Portfolio Management, and Global Business Development.
Sanjay joined Cipla again in 2011 as a part of the Senior Leadership Team. He initially shouldered the responsibility of the Global Commercial Function,
outside India and the US, Global Supply Chain followed by his last role as Chief of Staff, working closely with the Global CEO on Strategic Projects.
Sanjay Superannuated in July 2021, and started his firm Heramb Management Consulting LLP, which provides strategic sourcing solutions to its clients within
and outside India. Sanjay also provides Personal Mentoring as well as Coaching to individuals either as a part of Corporate Program or personal drive by
individual professionals. Heramb also provides services in HR domain like Assessment Centers, Leadership Development Program and Management Development Program.
He is an accomplished leader and the Executive Vice President and Global Project Management Head at Cipla,
one of India’s leading pharmaceutical companies. With a proven track record in driving large-scale projects and
delivering exceptional results, Mr. Mitra is recognized for his strong leadership skills and enterprise-focused mindset.
With extensive experience in global project management, Mr. Mitra has played a pivotal role in steering high-impact initiatives,
fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring alignment with strategic goals. His ability to navigate complex challenges
and implement innovative solutions has earned him widespread respect in the pharmaceutical industry.
His professional journey exemplifies his commitment to excellence and his ability to lead diverse teams toward achieving
organizational objectives.
Sivanandam Kesavan leads the Global Program and Alliance Management at Biocon Biologics, focusing on biosimilars across key therapeutic
areas like diabetes, ophthalmology, oncology, and immunology. He oversees a 75+ member team, managing the end-to-end lifecycle of
early- to late-stage assets, including development, regulatory approvals, launches, and post-approval activities.
His team specializes in planning, risk management, and global expansion strategies for advanced and emerging markets, ensuring efficient timelines,
budgets, and resources. With expertise in program management, contract negotiations, and CRM, Sivanandam plays a critical role in driving
Biocon Biologics success in the biosimilars space.
Professional Summary
A dynamic leader and accomplished professional with over 18 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Adept at managing complex projects, teams, and cross-functional collaborations, with a proven track record in driving
innovation and delivering results.
Core Expertise:
Project Management: Successfully managing diverse projects through the drug development lifecycle, from conceptualization to execution.
New Product Development (NPD): Spearheading product benchmarking, formulation, and regulatory processes to enable successful launches.
Strategic Business Planning: Leading resource allocation, portfolio budget planning, and operational excellence initiatives to achieve organizational goals.
Team Leadership: Building and mentoring high-performing teams while fostering a collaborative work culture.
Risk Mitigation: Conducting comprehensive risk analyses and implementing strategies for proactive issue resolution.
Key Achievements:
Delivered innovative solutions through pre-clinical and clinical study management, regulatory deficiency handling, and in-licensing product development.
Pioneered process improvements by eliminating inefficiencies, automating workflows, and streamlining operations to control costs.
Demonstrated excellence in stakeholder management and ensuring timely execution of projects within budget constraints.
Abhishek Mittal heads Project Management Office (PMO) at Neuland Laboratories Ltd. At Neuland, he is driving project management strategy built on three fundamental pillars of: Technology & Data, Systems & Processes, and People & Culture. Prior to joining Neuland, he has held various leadership and management positions at GSK Consumer Healthcare, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Syngene International, and Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. A PMI certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) and IRM certified Enterprise Risk Management professional (IRMCert®), he is experienced in managing complex programs, operational excellence, alliance management, systems development, and business transformation.
Meenakshi Jain is the Director and Head of Development Regulatory Center in Sandoz Development Center, Hyderabad, India. In this role, Meenakshi is part of global regulatory
affairs team responsible for global submissions for Sandoz Development Center (SDC), Hyderabad, India. She acts as a competent and strong business partner on new product
development matters within regulatory affairs and with all of the respective R&D formulation, analytical development, clinical, quality and other functions of SDC in
strategic decision making and ensuring quality submissions globally.
Prior to joining Sandoz in July 2020, Meenakshi worked with Mankind Pharma, Sun Pharma, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited and Dabur Research Foundation in India. She has a combined
experience of 20+ years in the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Industry. She has worked in pre and post approval regulatory submissions for Solid Oral dosage forms, Complex Injectables
and Ophthalmic products and has successful history of filings, approvals and launches and has also provided regulatory support to manufacturing facilities during Inspections.
Meenakshi Jain has Master’s in Pharmacy from Panjab University, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Chandigarh, India.
Janani Swaminathan is a seasoned pharmaceutical professional with expertise in portfolio and project management across domestic and international markets.
With over 15 years of experience, Janani has consistently driven strategic initiatives to enhance product portfolios and accelerate business growth. Currently
serving as Vice President and Head of Portfolio & Project Management at Bharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd., she has spearheaded the launch of 40 products domestically
and secured over 110 approvals globally.
Renowned for her ability to transform challenges into opportunities, Janani is adept at market analysis, resource optimization, and operational excellence.
Her innovative approach has introduced cutting-edge product ideas, and expanded into new therapy areas. She excels in building high-performing teams, fostering
cross-functional collaboration, and inspiring excellence.
Janani's illustrious career includes key leadership roles at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, where she won the prestigious Chairman’s Award.
With a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Trinity College Dublin and an executive certification from IIM Calcutta, her academic achievements underscore her
technical acumen and leadership prowess.
Dr. Bobby George is Vice President & Group Head of Regulatory Affairs at Reliance Life Sciences, Mumbai. By qualification, he holds a Masters and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Panjab University (UIPS), Chandigarh. He has around 27 years of industrial experience. For over last 22 years, he has been associated with Reliance Life Sciences where he has held multiple portfolios. He is currently responsible for all their regulatory services across Pharmaceuticals, Biosimilars, Plasma derived products and Vaccines in both domestic and export markets. He is the recipient of several awards like IDMA award, CL Malhotra award, Jewel of India award etc. He has to his credit 36 publications in both national and international peer reviewed journals, book chapters and has authored a popular book on healthcare regulations.
Aniruddh Galgali is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with over 17 years of expertise in commercial strategy, licensing, partnering, mergers and acquisitions,
and managing complex projects across the spectrum. In his current role as a Senior Director of Strategy, Licensing, M&A, and Projects at Cipla, he is responsible
for delivering growth, licensing and partnering in Europe, Australia, China, APAC, the Middle East, Central and South Americas.
Aniruddh is accountable for designing and executing commercial strategy. He leads high-impact projects that drive technological advancement and portfolio expansion,
especially within respiratory segment. He is implementing AI-driven initiatives and bolstering market intelligence. Aniruddh also manages Cipla's in- and out-licensing
efforts and strategic acquisitions that support sustainable expansion in these markets.
Aniruddh has rich experience engaging with senior leadership, and plays a pivotal role in high-level decisions which shape organisations mid to long term strategy.
He has successfully crafted strategies to accelerate top-line growth, drive business transformation, and enhance profit margins. His project management expertise has
been instrumental in redesigning operating models, refining processes, and achieving the organization’s long-term strategic goals.
Mr. Navtej Singh is a Principal Consultant at Accelero Consulting with 27 years of industry experience in Pharma, Chemicals, and Plastic Processing. He holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering, a PGBDA, and is certified as a PMP, CSM, and PMI-ATP. Over 17 years in the pharmaceutical sector, Navtej has specialized in project and program management for injectables, ophthalmics, solid orals, APIs, and biologics. His expertise includes PMO management, CDMO evaluation, PMP training, R&D operations, budgeting, forecasting, and product launches. Navtej has worked with top companies such as Dr. Reddy's, Sun Pharma, and Pfizer (Hospira), where he successfully led numerous projects and enhanced operational efficiencies. At Accelero Consulting, he delivers strategic guidance and innovative solutions to drive client success.
Raja Selvam heads new product launches and the commercial excellence team at Strides. With over 16 years of experience, he has worked in both consulting
and the pharmaceutical industry, driving commercial strategy, business performance, market intelligence and new product launches. He started his career
with Beroe, advising clients on API and excipient procurement, low-cost country sourcing and process optimization. He moved to EY, where he supported
Big Pharma clients with strategic market intelligence to stay ahead of the competition. At Mylan, he managed strategy and commercial performance for
biosimilars in Emerging Markets. During his stint with Mylan/Viatris, he managed more than 35 biosimilar launches in Emerging Markets in addition to
supply/demand planning, project management, competitive intelligence and KOL interaction. During his second stint with EY, he was working with the
Strategy and Transaction division, advising clients on post-merger integration, go-to-market strategy, market access and portfolio optimization.
At Strides, Raja is heading the new product launches department, streamlining the launch process and managing the CFT collaboration for an effective and on-time
launch execution. He has been driving the adoption of GoLanzar in Strides to enhance the efficiency and information dissemination on new product launch progress.
Rajeev is a tenured business leader with over 25 years of experience in the IT industry. Having worked with some of the leading technology companies
throughout his career, he brings a unique blend of expertise and skills, making him a trusted advisor to organizations navigating technology-driven transformations.
On the personal front, sustainability is a cause close to his heart (there’s only one Planet Earth!) . Whenever he finds time, Rajeev enjoys heading to the hills.
Nirav Jansari is currently working as Group Head – Global Clinical Development at Sandoz Pvt. Ltd. He is a seasoned clinical research professional with over 17 years of experience in pharma R&D and global CROs. Having substantial clinical trial experience in planning & conducting phase I, II, patient‐based PK and clinical endpoint studies, complex generic product studies. He has been involved in various facets of clinical study management like the clinical strategy finalization, clinical trials management, medical writing. He has overseen the conduct of clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, respiratory, psychiatry, ophthalmology, and cardiology; generic and 505 b2 bioequivalence studies for various regulatory agencies like EMEA, FDA, ANVISA, Health Canada, TGA. He is master’s in pharmacology and his professional journey includes working with organizations - Sandoz Novartis, Veeda, Zydus and Lambda Therapeutic Research.
Nikhilesh is an experienced Solutions Consultant with a strong background in leading technology companies. He specializes in solutioning, delivering impactful demonstrations, and serving
as a trusted advisor for organizations undergoing digital transformation and driving growth in competitive markets.
On the personal front, Nikhilesh has a love for speed and precision, fueled by his passion for Formula 1. A fan of Indian classical music, he enjoys immersing himself in its rich traditions
and timeless melodies.
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