Jury
Dr. Deepak Haldankar
Dr. Deepak Haldankar brings over 40 years of extensive leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with a distinguished track record across manufacturing, quality, technology, operations, and business transformation within leading pharmaceutical organizations in India. He has held senior leadership positions including Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), President – Technical, and Vice President – Corporate Quality, driving operational excellence, regulatory compliance, technology transformation, and sustainable business growth.
Throughout his career, Dr. Haldankar has led and supported more than 70 international regulatory inspections conducted by major global health authorities, including the US FDA, MHRA (UK), TGA (Australia), PMDA (Japan), WHO, ANVISA (Brazil), MCC (South Africa), PIC/S, INVIMA, and various European regulatory agencies.
Dr. Rajiv Desai
Dr. Rajiv Desai brings over 38 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having held roles at leading multinational pharma companies including Lupin, Alembic, Dishman, Mylan, Dr. Reddy's, and Novartis.
Over the course of his career, he has worked extensively across Quality Management, Basic Research, Process Development, Analytical Development, and Regulatory Affairs, building a well-rounded command of the drug development and compliance lifecycle.
He has been closely involved in regulatory inspections conducted by leading global authorities, including USFDA, MHRA, EDQM, WHO, PMDA, ANVISA, COFEPRIS, and TGA, as well as Kosher and ISO certification processes.
Dr. Rajiv Desai served as a Member of the US Pharmacopeia Expert Committee from 2010 to 2015 and currently serves as a Member of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Expert Committee.
He is also a current member of the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA), and represents India on the ICH Science Committee through the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA).
Dr. BM Rao
Dr. BM Rao brings 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having held leadership roles across Analytical Research & Development, Quality Control, and Quality Assurance. Over the course of his career, he has developed deep expertise in nitrosamine impurities, regulatory inspections, and the design of robust quality systems.
His professional journey has been marked by a consistent focus on solving complex analytical challenges, leading teams successfully through regulatory inspections, and building quality systems that stand up to scrutiny. He has held significant assignments with Dr. Reddy's, Sai Life Sciences, Janssen, and Novartis, giving him a well-rounded perspective across different organizational cultures and regulatory environments.
Beyond his technical contributions, Dr. Rao is deeply committed to mentoring emerging talent, cultivating a strong culture of quality within the organizations he serves, and driving innovation that advances both scientific rigor and operational excellence.
Mrs. Vasundhara Iyengar
Mrs. Vasundhara Iyengar is an Independent Consultant, Lead Auditor, Subject Matter Expert, and Trainer, with nearly 25+ years of distinguished experience across global pharmaceutical organisations. She previously served as Quality Head in GSK and AstraZeneca, where she led quality assurance and quality control functions.
She led audits across Asia Pac (India, China, Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand) and Europe. She supported in establishing AstraZeneca’s Worldwide Audit group (WWAG), a global organisation in Asia Pacific region.