Former Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Novartis (India), Ranjit Shahani, passed away. Shahani, 74, began his career with Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in India in their fibers and specialty chemicals businesses. He then went on to become the General Manager with ICI, Zeneca in UK, managing the Asia Pacific and Latin American operations for the firm’s petrochemicals and plastics division.
He took over as the CEO at Roche Products Limited before moving to Novartis India Limited in 1997.
At Novartis India, he served as the Managing Director and Vice Chairman between 2001 and 2018.
Shahani, 74, was Novartis’ India chief when the Swiss drugmaker was involved in a brutal 7-year patent battle over its blood cancer drug Glivec. He graduated as a mechanical engineer from the IIT, Kanpur and did his MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai.
Shahani wore several hats, including President Emeritus of Organisation of Pharmaceuticals Producers of India (OPPI – a platform for multinational drugmakers) and Chairman of JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals.
Source: Businesstoday