Priya Raju (PR): Changing your brand identity means changes in all the packaging artworks and closely working with your vendors. When can we see the new logo on DRL product packaging?

GV Prasad (GVP): The new brand identity, with the motto: ‘Good health can’t wait’,  is already commercially launched in India with one of our derma products. It involves change in artwork, printing, procurement, connecting the inventory at the manufacturing sites all over the world, write-off for old inventory, if any and finally regulatory approvals, wherever applicable.  Along with the new brand identity, expect to see completely new pack graphics, information design, and form factor (specifically for India) that connotes our patient-centric design approach.  

 

PR: Being a generic drug company, how does DRL find scope to work on packaging innovations?

GVP: For the unbranded generic drugs the effort is to be as similar as possible to the innovator drug. However, our innovation focus is on branded generics for India and emerging markets like Russia, which offer enormous innovation potential by offering us the opportunity to create value through creative pack design and human centric drug delivery methods.

 

PR: Explain DRL’s packaging strategy in terms of automation/cost savings/innovations

GVP: We believe automation is key to what we do at our manufacturing sites. It provides flexibility to scale up /down, to cater to different volume needs for different geographies and help us improve productivity and keep our costs under control. We run companywide the PACE programme, which cuts across all functions and is based on the core belief of “doing more with less”. 

As far as innovation is concerned, we follow a human centric design philosophy. We actively work on form factor, pack information design, pack graphics, electronics interventions to make our packaging stand out in terms of creativity, utility and effectiveness.

 

PR: What have been the efforts to keep patient at the centre when it comes to packaging development? Explain with a few examples.

GVP: Our patented drip free bottle design, blister pack with additional stub on both sides, white background for blister packs for improved legibility of critical information, ergonomic auto injector for anti-migraine drug, safety device for prefilled syringes, covert and overt anti-counterfeit features, customised child resistant packs for high toxic oral solid doses are some of the examples from our repertoire of ongoing patient centric innovation agenda.

 

PR: What about the unfinished agenda of Mr Anji Reddy?

GVP: We are definitely on the path to complete Dr. Reddy’s vision in the next five to 10 years.