In this latest edition of the HealthTech Insights Top Voice Interview Series, we have Vickram Srivastava, who has completed his Masters in Supply Chain Management from SP Jain Institute of Management and has more than 2 decades of experience in Logistics, Heavy Engineering, and Life Science Industries across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, India, and North America. He has occupied positions in Supply Chain Planning, Supply Chain Execution, and Product Management at various times. Vickram is described as a ‘go-getter’ and recognized as a thought leader in Supply Chain Practice.
He is known for marrying Supply Chain Concepts and Practice in the pursuit of excellence. He was recognized as a Supply Chain Super Achiever(40-under-40) by Celerity in the Healthcare sector. Vickram currently heads the Supply Chain for North America at Sun Pharma. Sun is India’s largest and one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical (generics and innovative medicines) & API manufacturers, with multiple production facilities spread across 5 continents and a sales footprint across 100+ countries
The Evolving Pharma Supply Chain
Resilience Has Overtaken Cost Optimization: The pandemic, ongoing drug shortages, geopolitical disruptions, and supply concentration risks exposed vulnerabilities in highly globalized supply networks. Organizations are no longer focused solely on lean inventories and lowest-cost sourcing. Instead, they are investing in dual sourcing, regional manufacturing, strategic safety stock, and network diversification to ensure continuity of supply
End-to-End Visibility and Digitalization: real-time visibility across suppliers, manufacturing, logistics providers, and distribution channels. Advanced planning tools, AI-driven forecasting, digital control towers, and predictive analytics are helping companies identify risks earlier and make faster decisions. Supply chain data has become a strategic asset rather than just an operational byproduct. This also includes DSCSA compliance, bringing end-to-end traceability
Network Regionalization and Nearshoring: Many companies are reassessing heavy dependence on overseas manufacturing and API sources. Across North America, we’re seeing increased focus on regional supply ecosystems, supplier diversification, and greater collaboration
AI and Digital Transformation
Apart from what I mentioned above on digitization bringing end-to-end visibility, below are key areas where we are already seeing a great impact of AI and Advanced Planning tools
Demand Forecasting and Supply Planning: AI and predictive analytics can combine commercial, inventory, market, and external data sources to improve forecast accuracy and identify demand shifts earlier.
Inventory and Network Optimization: helping with cash release and making a positive impact on working capital. Also helps reduce costs through proper network and supplier optimization
Traceability, Compliance, and Digital Operations: FDA’s Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements drive interoperable electronic product tracing; AI and automation can help manage serialization data, exception handling, investigations, and compliance reporting at scale.
Resilience and Risk Management
Below are a few key drivers, in my opinion, that can build resilience in Pharma Supply Chains
Diversify Critical Supply Sources (both with suppliers and manufacturing network): not always easy or possible, but this requirement cannot be overstated to build resilience in the VUCA world we live in.
Increase End-to-End Supply Chain Visibility: not just suppliers and primary sales (upstream and downstream in the value chain), but suppliers’ suppliers and secondary and tertiary sales data can help us achieve that
Strengthen Inventory Strategy: move from Just-in-Time to Just-in-Case. For critical medicines and constrained products, strategic inventory buffers can improve continuity of supply without creating excessive working capital burdens.
Develop Scenario Planning Capabilities: advance planning tools build that capability into the planning engine to build a digital twin of the whole supply chain, which helps in evaluating responses to supplier failures, transportation disruptions or demand surges.
Balancing Efficiency with Patient-Centric Outcomes
Segment Supply Chains Based on Product and Patient Need – not all products can be (or should be) managed the same way in terms of risk coverage and contingency planning, considering cost and degree of disruption predicted. High-volume generics, specialty therapies, biologics, and critical medicines each require different inventory, service, and replenishment strategies.
Shift from Cost Optimization to Total Value Optimization: look at Cost-To-Serve to patients vs. just impact to business – Leading organizations evaluate decisions through a broader lens that includes service levels, supply continuity, quality, compliance, and patient outcomes.
Strengthen Cross-Functional Collaboration: Patient-centric supply chains require close alignment between commercial, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and customer-facing teams. IBP (Integrated Business Planning) ensures that operational decisions support both business objectives and patient needs
The Future of Supply Chain Leadership
The most successful pharmaceutical supply chains will combine digital expertise, strategic thinking, operational excellence, and a patient-first mindset. Technology will continue to transform how supply chains operate, but leadership will remain the critical differentiator. The future belongs to leaders who can harness AI-driven insights, build resilient and transparent networks, manage risk proactively, foster cross-functional collaboration, and keep patient access at the center of every supply chain decision.
Please note that these opinions shared above are in my professional capacity as a supply chain practitioner and are not necessarily reflective of my organization’s view. These opinions should be attributed only to me and not my employer
To participate in our interviews, please write to our IntentTech Media Room at sales@intentamplify.com
