“Proceeds from the Summit to go towards feeding school children�

Malvinder Singh, Kiran Mazumdar, Kewal Handa, Anuj Saxena among others to address the summit

CORPORATE PHARMA LEADERS TO DEBATE IN PHARMACEUTICAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

India's finest think-tank will attend to debate, discuss and find solutions on burning issues facing the Industry today on 3rd April, 2009.

India's commercial capital and the Corporate Headquarters of many top ranking companies Mumbai will host Nation's Biggest Pharmaceutical Leadership Summit “The Pharmaceutical Leadership Summit 2009� under the theme Destination India – Challenges & Oppurtunities, to be held in Hotel Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre in Grand Ball Room # 2 & 3B, Near Chinmayanand Ashram, Powai, Mumbai 400 087 on Friday, 3rd April 2009 . The one day summit is being organized with a view to bring together leaders from the industry and crystallize their views and thoughts and assist the industry to find solutions and strategies to help the Indian pharma industry face challenges adroitly and seize opportunities as they arise. The who's who of pharma industry like Kiran Mazumdar of Biocon Lid, Kewal Handa of Pfizer Ltd, Anuj Saxena of Elder Healthcare, Dr Ramakant Panda of Asian Heart Institute, Ranjit shahani of Novartis and a host of other big wigs will be debating some of the crucial topics of tremendous significance confronted by the industry. More than 400 industry professionals, Pharma Academia,bureaucrats,medical practioners will be attending the high profile event.

Apart from the Indian industry the summit will also see sizable presence of professionals from Srilanka, Bangladesh, Middle East, United states and other countries with close pharma relations with India.

By hosting the Pharma summit at a time when the nation is being rocked by instability in the economy and the corporate world, the organizers also wish to send out a message that while some other sectors have been adversely affected, the Pharma and associated industry continue to progress and have managed to shrug off the effects of the depression across the world. It is also the right time for the industry to rise and review its performance, its people and assess the requirements of the industry. The summit provides a perfect opportunity for all players in the pharma world to come together and learn from the leaders of the industry. The Summit is deliberating many critical topics of tremendous significance confronted by the Industry. Some of the Topics like

The other notable speakers include, Malvinder Singh of Ranbaxy, Mr Ranjit Shahni, MD, Novartis India Ltd.,Mr Kewal Handa, Managing Director, Pfizer Ltd , Dr Anuj Saxena, MD, Elder Healthcare Ltd, Mr. Ajit Singh, Chairman, ACG World Wide,Mr. Ramesh L. Adige, Executive Director, Corporate Affairs & Global, Corporate Communications, Ranbaxy Ltd, Mr.Anand Balasundaram, MD, Astra Zeneca Pharma Inida Pvt Ltd, Mr. Venkat Jasti, MD, Suven Life Sciences Ltd, Mr Alok Mishra, Sr President,- operations, VHB Medisciences Ltd, Neopharma LLC, Mr Sanjiv Dharwadkar Sr. Director Pharma, Aventis Pharma Ltd, Mr Deepak Naik, MD, Eisai Pharma Pvt. Ltd, Narayan Gad, CEO-Formulations, Panacea Biotech Ltd, Dr. Himadri Sen, President R&D, Ranbaxy Ltd, Dr. Suresh Jadhav Executive Director Serum Institute of India Ltd, Dr P.M.Nayak, Project Director, Zydus Cadila Ltd, Mr Kaushik Desai, Director & CEO, Global Pharmatech, Mr Shailesh Siroya, MD, Bal Pharma Ltd, Mr M.Prashant, VP, Business Devlopment, Sarvotham Remedies Ltd, Mr V.S.Reddy, MD, British Biologicals, Mr J.A.S.Giri, Chairman, Sangfroid Industries Ltd, Dr R.B.Smartha, MD,

One unique aspect of the summit is that it is being held in aid of Akshaya Patra, the world's largest run school meal program which is feeding around one million school children everyday across India. Recently even President-Elect Obama had also commended the organisation for the yeomen service it is doing by providing humanity by feeding poor school children across India.The event is being held in association with Pharmaexicil, Indian Drug Manufaturer's Association, Indian Pharmaceutical Associations and the Orgainsation of Pharmaceutical products of India.

For further details please contact:
Mr. Raj : + 91 9740622225, kraj@akshayapatra.org
Ms. Rajani : + 91 9900169159, rajani@akshayapatra.org

ABOUT THE AKSHAYA PATRA FOUNDATION

The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a non-profit, Bangalore-based secular trust, evolved the free meal program in schools in the year 2000. What started as a pilot project in five schools in Bangalore, feeding 1,500 children, has now grown into a mammoth endeavor covering over 9,83,000 children in over 5,700 government, government aided schools and anganwadis (day care centers) in 17 locations spread across seven states in India, day after day. This is amongst the largest school meal NGO run program in the world. The foundation expects to reach a magical figure of five million children by 2020.

Six days a week, without a stop, the foundation provides unlimited, nutritious, hygienically cooked noon meals in government schools and government-run day-care centres (anganwadis), Ushering in a technology-intensive operating model that ensures high-quality, hygienic food on the one hand and increases internal efficiencies on the other, the program has brought about policy changes at the state government levels and created a new image for mid-day meals in India. Akshaya Patra is an eloquent demonstration of public private partnership as it is run with part subsidies from the government, besides financial support from corporates and individual philanthropists. The daily expenses: around Rs 35 Lakh!

The program is independently governed by a Board of Trustees, an Advisory Panel consisting of professionals from the corporate world & bureaucracy, dedicated employees and a team of volunteers. The program is advised in rigorous accounting standards and services by KPMG to ensure transparency and accountability to all its donors. A study in the year 2006 by AC Nielsen Org Marg, has vouchsafed for the efficacy of the program in increasing attendance in schools, improving nutritional status of these children, enhancing their learning abilities and reducing drop out rates. The foundation's work has been praised by all quarters and a recent feather in its cap has been the study conducted by Harvard Business School.

All contributions to The Akshaya Patra Foundation are eligible for 100% tax deduction under section 35AC/80GGA (bb) of the Income Tax Act 1961 in India

For further details please visit our website: www.akshayapatra.org