Vikram is currently working in the life sciences and healthcare research and analytics space. In his current role, he manages data and analytics consulting that helps patients across the world to access cutting edge and new therapies such as cell and gene therapy and personalized medicine. He has been working in this space for the last 18 years. He started his career in the rural development sector at grassroot in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh with SRIJAN. After a brief stint with a SIDBI Project for microfinance with EDA Rural systems, Vikram pivoted to the business research sector.
Twitter: twitter.com/VikramShanbhag
Linked In : https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramshanbhag/
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A. The journey from IIFM to here has been circuitous, exciting, and reflecting back seems surreal. Back in 2001, when I graduated from IIFM, if someone had told me I would be working in healthcare data and analytics for the global markets, being in India, it would have been implausible. I still remember one of mine and I am sure a lot of alumni’s favorite professor Dr. CS Rathore saying that in the future people in India will be doing jobs for the US market, sitting right here thanks to Information Technology and that is truly here to stay and booming. I came to IIFM, after finishing Electrical and Electronics engineering and applying that as an apprentice engineer at Kirloskar Electric Company in Mysuru and Bengaluru. One of the reasons, I got into IIFM was to be in the environment sector, after the field trips and OTs, I got truly tuned into the rural development sector and wanted to contribute, especially at the grassroots level. During campus placement, I was very keen to join PRADAN, as that was the gold standard in grassroots professional development work and I was very inspired by the founder’s story. However, I did not get selected and rather got an offer from HLL ( Latex, not Lever! ?). The role was exciting and from what I had heard from seniors who were already there it would have been an amazing journey. However, my mind was set on working in the rural development sector and as my best friend in my batch – Yogesh Ghore had already accepted an offer at SRIJAN ( also founded by ex-PRADAN alumni), I reached out to SRIJAN for an opportunity. After multiple rounds of interviews, as well as a visit to the field operations area, I got selected and I accepted the offer. This created a surprise among faculties and I vividly remember Prof Pethiya asking me to rethink about this decision. However, I steadfastly stood my ground and started my role at SRIJAN. The next 20 months were among the most delightful days of my professional career. As they say, if work does not feel like work, that is the profession you should be in. However, eventually, I had to give in to societal and parental pressure, as being in a remote area of MP did not help my marriage prospects!
At that stage, my batchmate Pranav Sharma referred me for a role at EDA Rural Systems, which had many from IIFM, including my batchmates. This has been one constant feature, where IIFMites, either batchmates or alumni have always lent a helping hand whether in personal or professional life. After a brief stint at EDA at their Hyderabad office (which was a home-office and an early pioneer in Work from Home), I got a break in the corporate sector again thanks to a strong reference and recommendation from my senior Rajaram Sankaran. I was very keen to get into the field of business research and analytics and his reference and prep helped me land a role in Frost and Sullivan at their Chennai office. It was a dramatic transition as I was visiting the ready-made garments cluster in Pamidi at the beginning of 2004 and in two months, I was in San Antonio, interviewing senior executives of surface mount technology manufacturing companies.
From there on it has been a much more linear path. I got exposure to life sciences and healthcare customers and then spent time at companies such as The Smart Cube, Genpact, Decision Resources Group (now Clarivate), and my current employer indegene. All through, I have been lucky to have company of my IIFM mates- Aamit Khurshid ( at TSC), Ganesh Naik, Awani Saroagi, and Sonali Wassan at Genpact. In my current company, I am not aware of anyone from IIFM and will be happy to connect if there are alumni at Indegene.
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. I currently work in the healthcare space specifically helping biopharma companies get market access for their innovative therapies in mature and emerging markets. Biopharmaceutical companies spend millions and in most cases billions of dollars to research a new therapy for diseases that can be fatal such as in oncology and rare diseases or those that significantly decrease the quality of life. Through our research and data analytics, we help find the right patients at the right time as well as enable our customers to communicate the value of their innovative drugs or devices so that they can get reimbursed by private and public payers. To me, this is hugely satisfying as we are able to touch the lives of patients whose unmet needs are being fulfilled.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. I am a staunch believer in having the right combination of hard and soft skills. To me, IIFM provided that in the right measure and more! Before coming to IIFM, while I had lived in different places, my exposure was mostly to a fairly homogeneous group of people in an urban setting. Being in IIFM for 22 months opened the doors to an whole new world. The robustness of learning by being with a varied heterogeneous group ( in the class, seniors, faculties as well as other staff) built an unshakeable foundation. That experience is irreplaceable. When I got admission to IIFM, I was only visualizing the building, the campus, the subjects, etc, but it is the people who make an institution. The exposure to diverse and multifaceted scenarios during the different terms as well as the OTs and the fieldwork is vividly memorable.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers. What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?
A. Of course, it has been my family ( my parents and elder brother, and my wife). Later on, multiple situations and personalities, especially the trend of IIT and IIM graduates getting into the professional development sector. Vijay Mahajan was always someone whom I idolised. Rajaram, who guided me during my tough days, when I was looking for a break in the corporate sector has been a strong pillar. A lot of my batchmates ( notably Sameer Kumar Singh, Binu Koshy, and Naveen Prakash), including my dear roommate Niloy Kumar Bhattacharjee and Yogesh Ghore with their contrasting approaches to examinations helped me sail through.
I cannot miss Samir Garg, who was my leader at SRIJAN and was very inspirational in both thought and action.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. The Bambusa parties, field work ( memorable time spent at Korba and Sarguja), the two OT stints as well as a lot of the field trips do stay vivid.
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, and alumni. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. This has been covered in previous questions, but want to call out the role played by a number of our faculties, including Dr. CS Rathore , who was meticulous in his teaching as well as very practical. Prof BP Pethiya and S. Raghavan ( an IFS officer) who was my mentor and always guided and mentored me appropriately.
Q. The best friends / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. I had amazing relationship and friendship with a number of my batchmates, seniors and juniors.
To name a few – Yogesh Ghore, Dipak Kujur, Naveen Prakash, Binu Koshy, Sameer Kumar, Sarika Sinha, Rahul Bist, Pranav Sharma, and Sameer Kumar Singh.
Among seniors – Rajaram Sankaran, Ritu Bharadwaj, Dipak Jha, Avinash, and Nitin Gupta.
Among juniors – Aamir Khurshid, Deepak Bawari.
Q. As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those are joining IIFM to get best out of the 2 years there?
A. IIFM is an elite institute in terms of infrastructure as well as opportunities and peer group. The time one spends there is quite short, so do immerse yourself deep in what you like to do and stay connected to all that is happening in and around.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
A. As I work for global markets with global teams, my day starts around 10.30 AM and goes till 10 PM or later. In my current role, I am responsible for delivery, so the day starts with reviewing and managing project delivery related items. Then it goes to work on a project or company wide initiative I am involved in. In between, need to connect with my team, and colleagues from other departments as a lot of the work is collaborative. In the evenings, time goes into customer calls, that are about scoping projects or reviewing deliverables and getting feedback. Wrap up includes responding to any open emails or pending tasks.
Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family and anything else you want to add?
A. I live with my wife and 8 year old son in Bangalore. Weekends involve spending time with family visiting malls or parks. All this was under the lid for the last couple of years due to the pandemic. I like to read about current affairs, especially geo-political matters and India’s politics. I do go for a walk or jog in the mornings.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors?
A. I have lost the reading habit but liked books such as Catcher in the Rye and Catch-22 in the past. I like autobiographical or movies based on socio-cultural issues. I also like to do treks when possible, though not done any recently.
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A. I am happy to connect and speak with anyone who wants to reach out to know about a career in research and analytics. I can also participate and talk about the field I am currently in.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
A. Honestly, I have been out of the sector and not in touch with what is happening in IIFM currently, but from whatever I have seen, it seems things are happening for the better.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Ramanathan, Nimisha Mittal, Dipak Kujur, Niloy Kumar Bhattacharjee, Aamir Khurshid, Nitin Gupta.