Sanofi to widen presence in India with more products: MD Rodolfo Hrosz

Hrosz said the company will take advantage of the initial success of the ‘India for India’ plan by enhancing focus on two essential priorities for the country – healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

Sanofi, the French pharmaceutical giant, plans to broaden its presence in India with an enhanced portfolio of products following a decision taken by the leadership team last year to revisit its growth strategy, Rodolfo Hrosz, managing director of the local unit, said in an interview with Moneycontrol.

“We elected four priorities to go forward. We called that plan ‘India for India’ because it focuses on the specific opportunities that exist for Sanofi in India. Those four priorities that we came up with were diabetes, consumer healthcare, innovation, and partnerships,” he said.

Sanofi said it can maximise the ‘India for India’ potential by giving each business segment specific capabilities, removing unnecessary intertwined processes, and aligning businesses with the global group structure.

The comments from Sanofi’s India head came after the global pharma company said its board approved the demerger of its consumer healthcare business into a wholly owned subsidiary, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India.

Also read: Sanofi India reports robust Q4 performance with 45% YoY profit growth

Hrosz said the company will take advantage of the initial success of the ‘India for India’ plan by enhancing focus on two essential priorities for the country – healthcare and pharmaceuticals. He said that by separating the two businesses, the top leadership will be able to focus on different strategies for them.

As per the exchange filing, the consumer healthcare business will include all the assets and liabilities of the business and brands Allegra, Combiflam, DePURA, and Avil.

Brand reach

“We have a scientific engagement with healthcare professionals. We want to continue to improve and drive the expansion of the reach of these brands across the country,” he said.

He added that the consumer healthcare portfolio requires a much deeper consumer understanding.

“The portfolio for consumer healthcare can be further enhanced and improved with many of our products that exist in other countries and are not yet in India. And that, of course, will be part of the plan for the years to come,” he said.

Also read: Indian drug regulators probing 209 risky manufacturing sites, 45 in Himachal get notice

According to the exchange filing, Sanofi said the decision is expected to help the development of the India business and employees in a value-driven move to accelerate growth for both the pharmaceuticals business (Sanofi India) and consumer healthcare business in India.

Asked about products in the pipeline for India, Hsroz said Sanofi recently got the regulator’s nod to introduce its anti-diabetes drug Soliqua in India.

“We are one of the large players in diabetes in India. We are present in all segments of that category and we intend to continue to accelerate our presence there,” he added.