No trials for clinical research aspirants

The Indian clinical research industry has grown from Rs20crore to Rs1,500crore in the last three years.

In India, the sector has not seen any near-term impact of the economic downturn as large pharma companies continue to send work to India, to be conducted at 1/5th of the US cost. This has led to a large demand for qualified and trained professionals in the industry. “There are more than 2,50,000 positions vacant globally with annual salaries from $40,000 to $1,00,000 indicating that it is a well-paid career,” said Dr SK Gupta, dean and director general, Institute of Clinical Research India (ICRI).

To match these industry demands, ICRI has just admitted 3,000 students in its five campuses and will be opening new campuses in Kolkata and Pune.

To give students a global edge, the institute has also opened a campus in the UK and is seeking formal tie-ups with three universities in the US.

“We have entered into an alliance with UK’s Cranfield University to give students a
global qualification and career opportunities.”

Clinical research is open to anyone; non-science graduates can pursue courses like MBA in healthcare management. Students with backgrounds in life sciences, pharma, medicine, nursing, bioinformatics, are eligible to opt for courses like MSc in clinical research.

Unlike other sectors recruitment is seamless. “Almost 202 MNCs like Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi, Quintiles, Merck, and Indian companies have been recruiting students from our institute,” said Gupta.

With the cost of courses ranging from Rs1.5-5 lakh, even the return on investment in
education is high.