Ajay Harinath Singh Greatest Brand Leader 2018-2019

Satya Vadlamani
Growing on the Wings of
Ingenuity & Selflessness
A highly successful entrepreneur and CMD of Murlikrishna Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Mrs. Satya Vadlamani is
an epitome of confidence, happiness and prosperity, and an icon of inspiration for countless women,
entrepreneurs and youth. She has embraced risk as a lifestyle and her unflinching attitude has helped her
lay pathways where none existed earlier
Mrs. Satya’s contribution towards
building of the nation is immense,
as apparent in the past more than
two decades, which she has dedicated to
bring smiles to innumerable faces. As a
matter of fact, she has earned unprecedented
success in an allegedly men’s profession,
and her work and dedication are highly
respected and recognized duly nationally
and internationally. Knowing the obvious,
she shares, “I am a woman first and an
independent woman at that. Success
never comes easy. It requires a lot of risk
taking and a very strong mental balance
and a never-say-die attitude. Women are
definitely stronger than men!”
Trailblazer, Pioneer & Visionary
Her experience of more than two decades
helps her innovate and create out-of-thebox
ideas and products in her current
organization. However, her innovative
streak is not new to her inherent character,
as she embraced success quite early by
first quickly becoming the youngest woman
General Manager in the highly competitive
field of international marketing, and then
starting her own pharma export company
that is one of the leading companies of
India in this field.
It is both surprising and inspiring to note
that her educational background consists
of a degree in Electrical and Electronics
Engineering, yet she chose to become a
dynamic entrepreneur in pharma export
learning at every obstacle and transforming
& innovating as the need & demand arose
in her profession.
Before gathering enough relevant
experience and setting out on her own
at a young age, she worked for Armour
Chemicals Ltd., Biochem Synergy Ltd. and
Ajanta Pharma Ltd. Showing unparalleled
vision and courage, she established
her own pharma export company –
Murlikrishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. – in 1997,
purely as an indenting operation. Within
five years, recognizing and availing
business opportunities, she switched over
her operations from indenting to trading,
as she began exporting bulk APIs and
semi-finished formulations in the form of
pellets. Another seven years, and brimming
with confidence due to her unprecedented
success, she completely transformed her
existing company renaming it Murlikrishna
Pharma Pvt. Ltd. to establish a new venture
in terms of manufacturing semi-finished
formulations.
She recalls various challenges in her
professional journey, “In the process, there
was a lot of learning, as well. I think setting
up an industry first time is the toughest.
After that, you can set up as many as you
want. And no management school can
prepare you for the experience. It stretches
you to the limit.”
Extraordinary Success
Having established Murlikrishna Pharma
“I believe that I have only reached the
foothills. Lofty peaks of ambition still
remain to be conquered”
Pvt. Ltd. with Dr. Vijay Shastri and a group
of 4 Directors, she commissioned the
manufacturing plant in 2005, and within
two years obtained the first European
Union (EU) approval for a single molecule.
Another three years, and the EU approval
increased to 7 molecules. Currently, she
has the EU approval for 20 molecules, 4
potential IPRs, and is on a supply agreement
with one of the leading Generics of World.
She shares detail, “We manufacture
Pre-finished Formulation Intermediates
in the form of Pellets, Granules and nano
particulates. Our long journey started with
a single product and only an Indian FDA
Approval has turned the corner. Today,
we have 20 molecules, PIC/s Approvals,
EU Approval, Jordanian FDA approval and
Pellets ranging from Macro size to Nano
Particles. Our Research and Development
Department is accredited with approval
as an R&D House by the Department of
Science and Technology, India.”
She has DMFs filed for most of
Murlikrishna products in the US and
registrations are in place for the rest. The
manufacturing plant has been approved
by major pharma companies such as
Mylan, Sanofi, Dexcel and Pfizer for GMP
Compliance.
She has been featured as one of India’s
leading Female Entrepreneurs in a book
by the name ‘Follow Every Rainbow’; is
regularly invited for motivational speaking
by various prestigious organizations such
as TIE, FICCI-FLO, Tanishka Forum, IBN
Lokmat and so on; and has been featured
as a woman entrepreneur, a part of the
Business Report by BBC.
The Road Uphill
Every success is beautiful, and once you
have your flags set at a series of milestones,
people start noticing, but ironically only
the positive and rosy side of the story.
Only the person who has travelled through
to materialize those milestones can bring
forth the real narrative.
In Mrs. Vadlamani’s own words, “The
trek to reach this foothill was not easy. It
was an arduous climb. There is a point of
no return in every business. When it came,
I did not turn back. Because once you start
something you cannot accept failure. And
that’s probably what kept me going, along
with the support of my family and friends.
“I invested everything I had earned in
Murlikrishna Pharma. And it was not just
money, it was my time, my passion and
my entire life.” Her sacrifices at several
fronts led to the extraordinary growth of
her company, one of the few, worldwide,
with both EU and WHO-GMP approvals in
pellets.
The Road Ahead
Focusing on making a mark, not money,
she has firmly established a multi-million
dollar company solely on a base of her
confidence, hard work and a white heat of
desire to do something great for her nation.
She shares her plans for the future, “I
am looking forward to more regulatory
approvals, more recognition in terms of
securing good R&D projects from renowned
pharmaceutical companies worldwide,
increasing our customer base.”
Ever ready to stand up and fight for what
she considers right and what is rightfully
hers, she asserts, “For me, the day goes
on. I do not believe in resting on my
laurels. I believe that I have only reached
the foothills. Lofty peaks of ambition still
remain to be conquered.”
26 | india’s greatest leaders 2019-20 |