The Editorial

The Editorial Contents

Address,
Sports is human life in microcosm. It represents everything that
humanity stands for & brings together people and countries
• Cover Story 3
like nothing else can. It ignites the spirit of belonging in all -- Not just a Sporting Trend
associated with it. Even in the recently concluded
Commonwealth Games 2010 we saw this feat repeat itself.
While the CWG was engulfed in a frenzied media scrutiny, the • Article 4
one thing that loomed above us all, like the great Colossus, was
the display of sportsmanship. The Indian athletes did the --“No Longer Nascent”
country proud when it brought home a total of 101 medals and
the entire nation clapped in unison.
• ‘Innov’Era 5
However, have we ever given a thought to all the hard work
that goes behind the making of a champion? The rigorous
-- God of Small Things
hours put into training or the constant efforts required to
building and maintaining the stamina required. How crucial a • The Industry Buzz 6
role, does nutrition play in developing a sportsman and how
much thought is involved in choosing the right diet? These are -- Pfizer Out for Shopping!
some of the questions we seek answers to, in this month’s
edition of The PUMBA Gazette. Our students conducted a city -- Road Ends for ‘Rosiglitazone’
wide survey to gauge the perception of the market in this area.
The article included, also focuses on the current market trends
in the Sports Nutrition Industry.
• Candid Talk 7
In keeping with the theme, the interview section includes a
-- Venky’s in Step with the World
tête-à-tête with Mr. Sahil Khan, National Manager, Sports
Nutrition Division, Venky’s. He updated us with the current • PUMBA News 8
market scenarios and gave us insights into the functioning of
this nascent yet thriving industry. -- HR Rendezvous 2010
Also included is an article on the emergence of -- B Plan Workshop
Nanobiotechnology as an industry and its various ramifications.
The section on BT news covers the various tactics Pfizer is
-- Guest Lectures at PUMBA
employing to retain its numero uno position as well as the
latest developments in the ban on ‘Rosiglitazone’
-- SEVA Fair
-- A Reason to Cheer For PUMBA
We wrap it up with the usual PUMBA news that will take you
through the events that took place in the past month.

It was a pleasure putting together the October edition and we

wish you all a happy reading!The PUMBA Gazette team also
wishes you a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year.

Your feedback and suggestions are welcome at

thepumbagazette@gmail.com.

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”
- Harry S. Truman

Sincerely Yours,
Editor-in-Chief:
nd
Chime Y. Mishra (MBA Biotechnology 2 Year)
The PUMBA Gazette Team

(The detailed project report shall be provided on enquiry.

Kindly send in your enquiries at
thepumbagazette@gmail.com)
 Cover Story
NOT JUST A SPORTING TREND
Nutritional supplements have helped to keep
sportspersons and athletes across the world in good shape for
decades. These are generally advised by coaches and trainers
and made available through private channels. Sports nutritional
products are popularised via specialised stores, the Internet,
fitness clubs, and gyms. However, in Pune, the recent years
have seen the emergence of exclusive retail outlets selling
nutritional supplements especially meant for sportspersons
and body builders. This indicates a rising demand for these
products in the local market.
The PUMBA Gazette team conducted a citywide survey of
gym instructors, coaches and gym-goers with the aim to
understand the market trends for these supplements. The
objectives were to understand the perception of consumers,
their preferences in terms of type of supplements and
particular brands. Also, we tried to find out the efficacy of the
supplements in enhancing the performance of the athletes.
The respondents were the gym instructors at leading gyms and
health clubs in Pune city. For consumers’ perspective, the
clients at these gyms and health clubs were interviewed. Also,
a few nutritionists affiliated with gyms were interviewed for
their opinion.
PREFERENCES:
The survey revealed that around 88% of the coaches and
instructors recommended the use of nutritional supplements,
mainly proteins and carbohydrates, to their clients. The main
criteria for selection of a particular brand were good results
and high quality. Also, it was found that 87% of the surveyed
consumers preferred to use products recommended by their
coaches or instructors rather than a doctor’s prescription.
Also, a majority of consumers did not rely on their own
judgement for using supplements. In addition to professional
athletes and body builders, it was observed that regular gym-
goers also consume supplements. The breakdown of clients
can be seen in the following bar diagram.
Almost 100% of the respondents felt that nutritional
supplements are essential to maintaining a fit body. Around
46% of the consumers preferred artificial supplements over
natural diet and 54% preferred a completely natural diet.
However, they understood that the supplements are effective
when taken along with proper diet and exercise regimen. Also,
the instructors and coaches also advised a balanced
combination of both.
BRAND PREFERENCES:
Both the instructors and consumers preferred imported
products over domestic ones. The reasons are that imported
products have higher quality and are approved by the USFDA.
Also, they are thought to be more easily digestible and
absorbed by the body. According to the survey, the whey
protein brand “Ultimate” emerged as the clear market leader
with around 22% of respondents preferring it over other
brands.
EFFECT:
According to the coaches and instructors, about 70% of their
clients who used artificial nutritional supplements showed an
enhancement in their overall fitness and performance in their
respective fields.
HURDLES:
The major hurdles for the growth of the market for
nutritional supplement products are high cost, side effects and
misconceptions in the mind of consumers. The predominant
misconceptions are that there is excessive weight gain once a
person ceases the consumption of the supplement and that
there is an adverse effect on hair and skin. Also, some people
mistake the supplements for steroids and have a fear of
suffering from side effects such as damage to liver and kidneys.
In reality, 90% of respondents have not suffered any side
effects from these products.
CONCLUSION:
As per the survey, the market for sport nutritional supplements
is growing at a good rate and there is a good scope for new
ventures to come forward with high quality products. However,
these products shall have to be priced and positioned
strategically so as to have an advantage over the imported
products which are currently preferred.
Compiled By:
Nazaneen Saify, Hitesh Patil and Abhimanyu
Tadwalkar (MBA Biotechnology 2nd Year)
Siddhant Dhabade, Aniket Bachal, Deepa Tatkare,
Aditya Awathare and Bhakti Shah (MBA
Biotechnology 1st Year)
 Article
NO LONGER NASCENT trainers to end consumers. Sales through organized
channels, such as pharmacies or supermarkets, make a
The recently concluded Commonwealth Games probably
very small contribution to overall consumption of sports
will be remembered as an epitome of corruption, and
nutrition products in India. The awareness regarding
nepotism but none can deny the exemplary
sports nutrition is not very widespread among the
performances that the world class athletes showcased
common public. Bona fide manufacturers, such as
during this event. These performances would not have
Plethico Ltd, derive the bulk of their sales by distributing
been possible
their products through key opinion leaders like athletics
without a proper
& games coaches, gym trainers etc.
regime of
nutritious diet.
The sports nutrition products come under the umbrella
Sports Nutrition is
of FMHG (Fast Moving Health Goods) sector with a
concerned with
current CAGR of over 20 percent in the consumer
the type and
healthcare segment. The market share of Indian
quantity of fluid
companies in the
and food
global sports
consumed by an
nutrition market is
athlete, and deals
not significant.
with nutrients
There is a highly
such as vitamins,
potential untapped
minerals, supplements and organic substances such as
market for sports
carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Understanding sports
nutritional
nutrition leads to optimal athletic performance and
supplements in
lifetime health benefits and can thus be evaluated by the
India with its
intake of certain nutrients and supplements when
relatively young
exercising, by learning the way the body utilizes these
population.
materials and how these practices complement future
diet and exercise of the individual.
Developing Indian Markets for Sports Nutrition:
Sports supplements (also called ergogenic aids) are  Both the organized and unorganized sales
channels can be interlinked through a well
products used to enhance athletic performance that may
include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, or planned distribution network.
botanicals (plants) — or any concentration, extract, or  Retail visibility must be ensured so as to create
combination of these. These products are generally awareness amongst the mass market.
available over the counter without a prescription (OTC  Large space for new entrants and hence early
Products). Some over-the-counter medicines and entry will be advantageous.
prescription medications, including anabolic steroids, are
used to enhance performance but they are not Compiled by:
considered supplements. Shalet M. Koshy (MBA Biotechnology 2nd Year)
Apurva Joshi MBA-BT & Dhankirti Parmar (MBA
Biotechnology 1st Year)
Recent data suggests the global sports nutrition market is
currently valued between US$27-32bn. Worldwide
improving economies and population growth in emerging
markets such as China, South-east Asia and Latin America
is driving increased demand for nutritional products, and
in particular sports nutrition products. The term 'sports
nutrition' implies use only by individuals involved in
sports; however it is no longer the exclusive domain of
only professional athletes and sports people.
Consumption of sports nutrition products attracts a
diverse audience, from teenagers drinking Gatorade for
energy for soccer, to workers consuming sports nutrition
products to take part in weekend sporting activities. Thus
the market for sports nutrition is expanding considerably.

The bulk of sales of sports nutrition products in India are

attributable to ad hoc or parallel imports from gym
 ‘Innov’Era
GOD OF SMALL THINGS
From enabling the delivery of engineered drugs to
specific target tissues to multiple possibilities in stem cell
research, Nanobiotechnology is certainly the key to the
future. Nanobiotechnology is enabling novel diagnostic as
well as new approaches to therapy and drug delivery.
Several researches in nanobiotechnology are going on in
various research institutes. Nanobiotechnology is used in
different fields like cell imaging, cancer therapeutics, drug
delivery, diagnostics etc. In addition, the size of
nanomaterials is similar to most of the biological
molecules and materials which makes it helpful in both in
vitro and in vivo biomedical research and application.
Nanoparticles are stable, solid colloidal particles
consisting of biodegradable polymer or lipid materials
and range in size from 10 to 1,000 nm. They were initially
developed as carriers for vaccines and cancer
chemotherapy agents.
Nanobiotechnology cuts across all industries like
automotive, IT, food, health, agriculture, steel, textiles,
energy, paints, cosmetics and defense and it is estimated
to provide a global opportunity of $1 trillion by the year
2015. Many nanotech based researches are carried out in
different fields. Personalized healthcare is the next big
thing in which nanobiotechnology plays an important
role. In targeted drug delivery, complex molecules are
designed that target certain sites (like cancer cells). These
then release the agent with focus on that specific cell.
The cell can then be knocked out by radiation without
damaging the healthy cells.
In agriculture, fertilizers or growth factors can be
delivered to the most appropriate parts of the plant and
the use of pesticides and fertilizers can be potentially
reduced, as it is a major issue that affects the health of
human being.
Nanobiotechnology development in India is at a nascent
stage with policy initiatives directed towards promoting
research and development. It is largely a government led
initiative and industry participation is still emerging. In
the year 2007 the Government of India allocated Rs 1000
crores through Nanoscience and Technology Initiative
(NSTI) for a period of 5 years. A more inclusive science
and technology policymaking process and integrated
framework is needed to ensure that this technology is
diffused and used for socially valued goods. In India more
efforts are needed to convert basic research into a
commercially viable product. Though nanocoated anti-
cancer drug like Doxil have been in clinical application in
the US, we are yet to make such breakthroughs in the
drug discovery field.
Recently there have been many developments in the field
of nanobiotechnology in India. Scientists at Benaras
Hindu University and India International Advanced
Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New
Materials has shown that silver nanoparticles show
'immense potential' in the prevention of blood clots. This
discovery is considered as an alternative to aspirin and
other anti-platelet agents currently used to prevent
blood clots in coronary artery diseases, heart attacks and
strokes that often cause dangerous bleeding.
Chennai-based Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine
(NCRM) has been working on close to 240 different
nanomaterials and technologies in specialties such as
ophthalmology (corneal regeneration), orthopedics
(cartilage injury repair), and hematology (expansion of
hematopoietic stem cells).
Mumbai-based Virtus Technoinnovation Pvt Ltd is
working on the science of gene repair therapy termed as
“Biomimicry”. Its research team at present is working on
a technique which will slacken the pace of the aging
process in a human being.
Dabur Research Foundation recently launched the
indigenously developed nanoparticle paclitaxel
formulation, Nanoxel. Nanoxel is the only nanomedicine
approved and launched outside the US. It demonstrates
improved efficacy and significantly lesser toxicity
compared to the conventional paclitaxel formulations.
With increasing research across several labs in the world,
the future of nanobiotechnology lies across the areas of
diagnostics, prosthetics and therapeutics. However,
despite the commercial potential of the product, the time
taken to market the product is very long. It would take a
fair while before nanobiotechnology gets widely
accepted amongst the masses and probably a bit longer
before nanobiotechnology based products flood the
market.
Compiled By:
Hitesh Patil (MBA Biotechnology 2nd Year)
 The Industry Buzz
PFIZER OUT FOR SHOPPING! ROAD ENDS FOR ‘ROSIGLITAZONE’
Pfizer, the world’s number one pharmaceutical company The Indian government has finally taken steps in the right
by revenue, has started making moves in order to direction. The health ministry of India has taken the
increase their decision to ban the anti diabetic drug called
product portfolio ‘Rosiglitazone’. The drug Rosiglitazone is an anti diabetic
and product drug which chiefly acts as an Insulin sensitizer, mainly for
range. The the treatment of type 2 Diabetes. The drug has been
majority of the banned on the grounds of reported risk of heart attacks
revenue of the and deaths of the patients using it for long period of
pharma giant time.
comes from the
manufacturing The drug was
and sales of their approved by US FDA
biopharmaceutical products. The biopharmaceutical in 1999. The major
industry, being very competitive, has to address many complications were
challenges which are very much industry specific. There is first reported in the
a cascade of challenges which include loss or expiration year 2007. The drug
of the patents or the intellectual property rights, was primarily
decrease in pipeline productivity, drug pricing issues with marketed all over
government and many more. Many of Pfizer’s drugs will world by GSK by the
be going off patent in the forthcoming years. These are name AVANDIA while
all blockbuster and major revenue earning drugs for the in India it was marketed as Windia, Rezult. Other players
company. Thus the company has to think of the long marketing the same drug in India are Sun
term growth prospects which are there in the market. Pharmaceuticals, Torrent Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory
and 30 more companies. The drug has already been
The company in an attempt to retain its numero uno taken off shelves from the European as well as USA
position has already acquired Wyeth for a large amount, market. The European Medicine Agency, EMA, was the
$68 Billion, to be precise. first body to ban the drug in the month of September in
Recently Pfizer also the European Market. It was followed by the US FDA,
announced that it is going to which had previously cleared the drug stating the drug
acquire King’s does not pose any threat. However, there was much
Pharmaceuticals for $ 3.6 billion. criticism and uproar over the severe clinical trial results
which clearly indicated the drug as potentially dangerous.
Moreover, The MNCs which faced problems like decrease The patients using the drug had 43% more chances of
in sales in the home market have now aggressively developing heart related problems and hence the drug
started focusing on domestic markets and are entering had to be taken off market.
into drug supply agreements. Pfizer has also started the
hunt in the Indian Pharma Market. In the month of In India, the DTAB (Drug Technical Advisory Board) had
October the company signed a deal with Biocon, India’s set up a committee of six members to mull over the
leading Biotech Company, for $ 350 million. They have future of the drug, which apparently concluded, after the
entered an agreement to EMA and US FDA decided to ban the drug in the
market Biocon’s drugs respective countries, with immediate effect. This has put
such as recombinant forward some doubts and questions in the integrity and
insulin, Glargine, Aspart. working of US FDA. Also this issue clearly indicates that
Pfizer will be the DTAB should start making its own decisions faster
commercializing these products globally except in some rather than waiting for the US FDA to act and take
countries like Germany, India, and Malaysia where they decisions.
will co-Market the product. Pfizer has already entered in
such similar agreements with some of the other Indian Compiled by:
domestic players namely Claris, Aurobindo, and Strides Sumantsinh Girase (MBA Biotechnology 2nd Year)
Acrolabs. It will be quite interesting to see how many
more such deals or agreements Pfizer signs with Indian
pharma companies.
 Candid Talk
AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. SAHIL KHAN
Venkateshwara Hatcheries is an
emerging player in the sports
nutrition industry. Mr. Sahil Khan is
the national Manager of Sports
Nutrition Division of Venky’s. He has
a vast experience in this industry and
thus also looks into the Marketing
and Sales of Sports Nutrition Division
of Venky’s.
The PUMBA Gazette Interview Team had the opportunity to
catch up with sir and obtain his views on the upcoming
segment of Sports Nutrition.
Q.1 Could you please introduce us to the sports nutrition
division of Venky’s and what products come under it and
what is their respective market share in the industry?
Venky’s sports nutrition is a division of Venkateshwara
Hatcheries and deals with nutritional health supplements which
are specifically designed and manufactured to give enhanced
performance to athletes. The Sports Nutritional Supplements
introduced by our company are at par with the other
international brands available. This is proved by the fact that
80% of the athletes taking part in the commonwealth games
took our sports nutrition products.
Products: One of the most important products that we have is
egg protein which we are exporting to countries like Japan,
Australia, Malaysia, Denmark, etc. We have a range of other
products as well, namely, Venky’s Albumen, Venky’s Albumen
Plus, Venky’s Egg ‘n’ Whey, Venky’s Whey Protein, Hy Speed,
Venky’s Creatine, Venky’s Mass Gainer, Venky’s Intense Mass,
Venky’s AO Sip.
Q.2 Could you please tell us about your target market and
how aware the market is, regarding sports nutrition and
its benefits?
Any individual who wants to stay fit, women, children of all
ages, senior citizens, sportsmen, athletes and bodybuilders are
our customers. But athletes are the main customers of our
products. Another category of people who buy our products
are those who want to gain or lose weight. Most of these are
people who join a gym. In the European market these products
are mainly protein supplements or energy drinks. Elsewhere
these products are well established but in India this is still a
new concept. However, sports people especially Indian players
understand the value of nutrition and also, today’s general
public is more health conscious and is always on a lookout for
better nutritious supplements that can cover for their busy and
hectic lifestyle.
Q.3 Since most of the nutritional supplements contains
egg or animal proteins, what are the options available to
a vegetarian customer?
For vegetarian customers, we have whey protein which is a
concentrated form of a protein derived from milk. These are
available in different flavours like chocolate, vanilla and mango.
Eggs used by Venky’s are ‘vegetarian’ eggs because these are
not the result of mating but obtained before it and thus do not
contain a life within. Also, we have vegetarian source of protein
for weight gain.
Q.4 What is the current scenario and future prospects of
sports nutrition in India?
The growth is phenomenal and it is the fastest growing
industry in India. In the last 3-4 years there has been more than
400-500% growth in India. With a market value in sales of over
$3.1bn by 2013 sports foods and beverages will remain a
significant market for sports nutrition. Moreover, sports
nutrition supplements are not just restricted to athletes, but
are becoming very popular among general population.
Q.5 What initiatives can be taken for the sports industry
to flourish?
We are conducting ad campaigns for creating awareness for
our products. Extensive sales and marketing teams promote
the new developments in the industry and make people aware
of the innovative products. We are educating trainers about the
benefits of our products. Our representatives are meeting
athletes, trainers and coaches and giving them presentations
about our nutritional supplements. We are trying to convince
them that sports nutrition is equally as training.
Q.6 What is the scope for entrepreneurs in this industry?
There is a lot of scope for entrepreneurs. There are more than
20 manufacturing units in India. With newer players, there
would be a healthy competition and better products. However,
any new entrant in this industry must keep in mind that in India
the bulk of sales is by advice from trainers and instructors and
not through direct sales in retail shops.
Q.7 Are there any side-effects associated with nutritional
supplements? What kind of precautionary guidelines
must be followed while using nutritional supplements?
Anything consumed in excess leads to problems. Only safe,
appropriate, and effective nutrition supplements must be taken
at the right time. These “alternate” foods have to be taken in
proper quantity, depending upon the height, body weight and
the sport the athlete is associated with. One can seek guidance
from nutritionists as to how much dosage is needed. Protein
supplements should not be taken on an empty stomach.
Q.8 For a person leading a sedentary lifestyle, can
nutritional supplements suffice for their daily intake of a
healthy nutritious diet?
A healthy diet is equally important. For a person living a
sedentary life style, unnecessary intake of supplements would
result in undue consumption of calories. In the Indian diet,
consumption of proteins does not suffice the daily
requirements. If a person leading sedentary life style is not
getting the daily requirements of proteins then he can take
help of protein supplements.
Compiled by:
Tushar Pareek & Priyanka Dhanjal (MBA
Biotechnology 2nd Year) along with
Sumit Mukherjee and Vinay Pantulwar (MBA
Biotechnology 1st Year)
 The PUMBA News
HR RENDEZVOUS 2010
‘HR Rendezvous’ is an annual event held at PUMBA. This
year it was successfully organised on 23rd October at the
Department. The event involves enactment of case
studies related to human resources that are witnessed in
a corporate environment. An attempt was made to solve
these cases by inviting HR professionals from the
industry. The event was attended by eminent
personalities like Mr. Mahendra Inge, Dy. General
Manager – Human Resources, Lupin Ltd., Mr. Nikhil
Kumar, Manager- Talent Acquisition, Tata Technologies
and Mr. Vishwanath Gulgule, Former VP – HR, Vikrant
Tyres who is also an alumnus of PUMBA (1973 batch).
GUEST LECTURES AT PUMBA
In the month of October two guest lecturers were
organized by the Alumni Cell.
Mr. Abhishek Trivedi, (Batch of 2004) delivered a lecture
on the topic ‘How interviews are conducted and the skills
required to survive an interview successfully’ on 9th
October 2010.
Mr. Vinayendra Jain (Batch of 2006) spoke on the ‘Dos
and don’ts of an MBA course’. He also threw light on
‘How to choose a specialisation in the second year of our
course’. This guest lecture was held on 16th October
2010.
The two guest lectures certainly helped in directing
students’ thoughts to new dimensions. It will hopefully
also streamline their line of thoughts in a direction that
would de them good.

SEVA FAIR
The SEVA fair is organized by the ED cell every year in the
campus. It is an in-house CSR initiative undertaken by
PUMBA. SEVA Fair this year was organized on 25th
October. The money generated through the sale of the
hand-made articles are given to the SEVA organisation
(an NGO) which are then used for the benefit of the
under privileged.

A REASON TO CHEER FOR PUMBA

The primary issues discussed during the event were
PUMBA has been ranked 21st by the survey conducted by
‘Ethics & breach of one’s privacy at a workplace’, ‘Post-
THE WEEK – MaRS. The survey was aimed at rating the
merger conflicts in an organization due to different work
best B-schools across India. The rating score was built on
cultures’ and ‘Issues arising out of differences in opinion
four dimensions – input value, value added, learning
due to a generation gap amongst the employees of an
ambience and brand value. Also, PUMBA has been
organisation’. These predicaments were discussed from
ranked among the Top-10 B-schools in the West Zone.
the perspective of Human Resource Management & the
esteemed guests provided appropriate solutions to the
Compiled by:
situations presented during the case enactments. Mr.
Abha Marathe (MBA Biotechnology 2nd Year)
Gulgule provided his valuable insights, relating them to Mrunmai Kulkarni, (MBA Biotechnology 1st Year)
his vast repertoire of experience in HRM. Mr. Inge briefly
mentioned about strategies adopted by companies
during a merger & acquisition and the problems arising
during the same. Mr. Kumar addressed the issue of
generation gap & gave us his suggestions on how to deal
with such issues. Thus, the students of PUMBA hosted yet
another successful event with great enthusiasm & zest.

B PLAN WORKSHOP
The ED Cell’s primary goal is to encourage
entrepreneurial traits among the students of PUMBA. In
keeping with this, a guest lecture was conducted by
Professor Rajesh Dhake. He gave many insights into the
preparation of a business plan and what factors one
should consider while making a B plan and the steps one
should follow in order to come up with a successful
Business Plan.