Bhushan Akshikar appointed OPPI President

The Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) has appointed Bhushan Akshikar as its President for a two-year term, effective from 26 September 2024. OPPI, representing global research-based pharmaceutical companies in India, will benefit from Bhushan’s extensive experience in the industry.

Bhushan Akshikar has over 13 years of leadership experience with GSK in regions including India, the Middle East, Russia, CIS, and Africa. Before his time at GSK, he spent 15 years at Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, in leadership roles in India, South Korea, and Belgium.

Speaking on his appointment, Bhushan Akshikar said, “I am excited and humbled to lead OPPI’s vision to collaborate with the Government of India to enhance access with innovation for patients, at such a crucial time for healthcare in our country. Over the years, OPPI’s focus has been on collective action to forge a path towards a more inclusive, innovative, and sustainable healthcare future for our country. I also extend my gratitude to the members of OPPI’s Executive Committee and I look forward to their continued support.”

Outgoing OPPI President, Suresh Pattathil, welcomed Bhushan to the role, stating, “It has been my honour to serve as President of OPPI for the past two years, driving forth its vision of ‘Bharat Ke Liye’. As I transition from this role, I am pleased to hand over the leadership to my esteemed colleague, Bhushan Akshikar. I am confident that Bhushan will expertly guide OPPI towards new achievements by leveraging his valuable insights, experience, steering the organization in the right direction to enable innovation, research, access and collaborations. I extend my best wishes to him and sincerely hope to witness OPPI reach new heights of success under his leadership.”

Anil Matai, Director General of OPPI, also expressed his gratitude to Suresh Pattathil for his dedication and welcomed Bhushan to his new position. He said, “I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Suresh for his steadfast dedication to advancing OPPI’s vision of enabling a healthier India through innovative solutions. We look forward to his continued guidance. I am thrilled to welcome Bhushan to his new role. His extensive experience and thought leadership in the pharmaceutical industry will be invaluable as OPPI continues to support the nation’s healthcare objectives with a patient-centric approach. Bhushan has consistently been a strong advocate for healthcare transformation in our country. Under his leadership, we are confident to enhance our efforts to optimise patient outcomes by fostering an environment that encourages innovation and growth.”