OPPI appoints Vivek Sehgal as new Director General

The Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) has appointed Vivek Sehgal as its new Director General (DG). Sehgal takes over from KG Ananthakrishnan who has been with OPPI since 2020, a statement from OPPI informed.

Sehgal has close to three decades of cross-sectoral experience on policy issues with central/state governments, regulators and other key stakeholders. In his most recent role, he was the Assistant Secretary-General, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry where he handled varied sectors including health, AYUSH, defence and homeland security, capital and commodity markets, corporate affairs and direct selling. His work on policy advocacy in sectors like health, AYUSH, IT and defence has been significantly successful in their acceptance by the concerned ministries, the statement said.

Commenting on the development, S Sridhar, President, OPPI, said in the statement, “………As OPPI continues its journey to partner with the government keeping patient centricity at its core decision making, we now welcome Vivek Sehgal on-board as the OPPI Director General. Vivek comes with a rich, deep and diverse background. His experience has been in shaping policy issues with central/state governments, regulators and other key stakeholders and positioning the chamber in international bodies like World Bank, WHO SEARO and WHO India. I am confident that under his able leadership and detailed subject matter knowledge, OPPI will be able to achieve many more milestones.”

Ananthakrishnan added, “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Executive Committee of OPPI for their valuable suggestions and support. It is my pleasure to welcome Mr Vivek Sehgal who takes over from me as the Director General of OPPI. Vivek brings over three decades of rich experience across sectors, including health, and I wish him all the very best.”

Speaking on his appointment, Sehgal also said in the statement, “I am delighted to be a part of the OPPI family and look forward to the opportunity to making a difference in patients’ lives. In my new role, I will work towards building OPPI’s commitment towards fostering continuous research and development and enabling healthcare access for all. OPPI will continue to drive policy and advocacy discussions with the government and endeavour to work together with various stakeholders together on industry-related issues, to implement sustainable and patient-centric solutions.”