ICT Mumbai confers its inaugural ‘Dr K. Anji Reddy Memorial Fellowship’ on Satish Reddy

New Delhi/Goa: The Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), one of the leading institutions in Mumbai in the fields of chemical engineering, chemical technology, and pharmacy, awarded the inaugural version of “Dr. K. Anji Reddy Memorial Fellowship for Affordable Biopharmaceuticals” to Mr. Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, for his immense contribution to the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

The fellowship was delivered at ICT’s 4th edition of Biosimilar Workshop, held on February 2, 2023 in Goa. The fellowship has been envisaged to honour the life and dedication to the pharmaceutical field of Dr. K. Anji Reddy, an alumnus of ICT and founder of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited.

Dignitaries present at the felicitation ceremony included Prof. M. M. Sharma, Former Director, UDCT; Prof. Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit, Vice Chancellor, ICT; Prof. Y. K. Gupta, President, AIIMS – Bhopal and Jammu; Prof. S. S. Bhagwat, Dean, Academic Programmes, ICT; Dr. K V Surendranath, Sr. Vice President, USP; Dr. Ratnesh Jain, UGC Assistant Professor, ICT and Dr. Prajakta Dandekar Jain, UGC Assistant Professor, ICT. The event was witnessed by faculty members, students & alumni of ICT and industry peers.

Dr. Kallam Anji Reddy was a well-known scientist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. An erudite and patriotic visionary, he set up Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories in 1984. From the outset, he realised that if medicines had to serve their purpose, they had to be affordable and accessible. Dr. K. Anji Reddy envisioned bringing molecules to India at a price the common man can afford. But this was not the only way by which he helped people. From supporting a hospital for the elderly, to setting up the Dr. Reddy’s Foundation in 1996, Dr. K. Anji Reddy’s philanthropic endeavours are well-documented. His memoir “Unfinished Agenda” shows his zeal and faith in science and urge to do what he could in every walk of life with unwavering conviction, be it affordable medicines or drug discovery or social responsibility. For his excellence, Dr.  K. Anji Reddy was honoured with Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2011 by the Government of India.

As the Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s, Mr. Satish Reddy has led the organization’s transition from a uni-focused manufacturer of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) to a company that moved up the value-chain with a diverse product portfolio of Finished Dosage Formulations. He oversaw the expansion and establishing of a strong footprint for Dr. Reddy’s finished dosage products in Russia, China and other emerging markets. As an active member of major industry associations and governmental panels, He played a key role in shaping policies concerning the pharmaceutical sector that include India’s patent law, drug pricing and important amendments to the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. Keeping true to the legacy of the founder of the company, Dr. K. Anji Reddy, Mr. Satish Reddy drives the organization’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. The Dr. Reddy’s Foundation, of which he is Chairman, works to help the less privileged create sustainable livelihoods through appropriate vocational education.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit, Vice Chancellor, ICT said, “Initiating Dr. K. Anji Reddy Memorial Fellowship Award during this Biosimilar Workshop 2023 has been the highlight of the event mainly because it has recognised the contribution of Dr. K. Anji Reddy in starting the activity of providing Biosimilars through research and innovation for affordable medicines.”

The Institute of Chemical Technology, popularly known as UDCT, was established on October 1, 1933, as the University Department of Chemical Technology of the University of Bombay (now Mumbai), with the noble intention of advancing India’s knowledge reserves in chemical science and technology. Over the years, ICT has grown to become a premier (deemed) university, devoted to education, training, research and industrial collaborations in the areas of chemical engineering, chemical technology, applied chemistry, pharmacy, biotechnology and bio-processing. Based on its stellar performance over the years, the Government of Maharashtra granted it the Elite Status and Centre of Excellence in the State Assembly on April 20, 2012.

The vision of the institute is to be creator of sprouting knowledge and to build cutting-edge technologies that will have the greatest impact on society and benefit mankind at large. The institute aims to achieve this through designing continuously evolving curricula to brighten the future of the chemical, biological, materials and energy industries of the nation, to enhance public welfare and to disseminate knowledge through multi- and cross-disciplinary research, discovery, technology development, service to industry and entrepreneurship, in consonance with the country’s goals and policies.

The institute has produced many first-generation entrepreneurs and distinguished academicians. Civilian honours awarded to alumni include 3 Padma Vibhushan, 8 Padma Bhushan and 10 Padma Shri awardees. Only two Indian engineers – Raghunath Mashelkar and Man Mohan Sharma – have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society (FRS), both of whom are alumni of ICT. Some other notable alumni of ICT are: Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of the Reliance Industries; Ashwin Dani, non-executive Vice-chairman of Asian Paints Ltd; Dr. Kallam Anji Reddy, Founder,  Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited; Kinshuk Dasgupta, research scientist at BARC, Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar prize winner; Haren S. Gandhi, American inventor and engineer, recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation; Keki Hormusji Gharda, founder of Gharda Chemicals and Nilesh Gupta, managing director of Lupin Limited.

Nanomedicine Research Group of ICT, Mumbai engages in active research in two major areas, development of biopharmaceuticals and development of alternative-to-animal models for preclinical research. The research group promote training and research from its inception and committed towards skill development in these domain and have trained more than 3000 students in past 7 years.

ICT’s flagship event the “Biosimilar Workshop” is one of the largest gatherings of Biopharmaceutical Researchers in India. In its 4th year, the BSW has been organised to promote participation of professionals from biotech, biopharma, academia, and start-ups to promote rigorous learning and networking opportunities to discover new prospects and good alliances. The scientific program includes a wide range of topics, from cell line development, process development, biomanufacturing, regulatory science, clinical trials, and industry 4.0. This event will provide an opportunity to meet experts, professionals, academicians, and researchers from all over the world further opening doors to new practices or revising existing practices based on the work presented in workshops, poster presentations, and inspired thought processes by the leadership of the industry.

**BioVoice News is one of the leading media partners of 4th edition of Biosimilar Workshop.