Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Innovation and access as key pillars driving Bayer’s South Asia Pharma business: South Asia is one of Bayer's fastest-growing regions for the pharma business and is crucial to the ‘Health for All’ Mission.
- Commitment to the 100 million Sustainability Goal: Bayer provides modern contraceptives to 100 million women worldwide, and South Asia is a key contributor.
- India’s Role in Innovation: Bayer in India supports global drug discovery through its Hyderabad R&D center. It also has a clinical trial footprint in the country, aiding in bringing innovations to India faster than usual.
- Empowering Teams with the DSO: Bayer is fostering a shift towards the “DSO (Dynamic Shared Ownership) culture” by empowering its talent and teams to be agile, motivated, and ownership-driven.
- Beyond the Pill: Bayer’s initiatives and partnerships aim to impact society through early diagnosis and comprehensive care solutions. The company is building strategic access to affordable medicines in low and low-middle-income markets, primarily through impactful public-private partnerships.
EF: What priorities have you established for yourself as the head of Bayer’s pharmaceuticals business in South Asia?
SR: South Asia, as a market, represents one-fourth of the world’s population and carries one of the highest burdens of certain diseases globally. For us, the focus is on two key priorities: bringing innovation to the market faster and improving access to that innovation for patients in the region. These two pillars—innovation and access—drive everything we do and align with our mission of "health for all." This means ensuring that effective treatments and medicines are available to all patients who need them.
EF: What role do South Asia and India play in the company's global strategy?
SR: South Asia is a rapidly growing region for Bayer Pharma. We have introduced new treatments in India and are preparing for launches in other regional markets while maintaining strong performance with our established portfolio. This growth is driven by the region’s Strategic focus on unmet medical needs. Improving access to medicines is another priority for Bayer Pharma in South Asia, where many countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan, are classified as low- or lower-middle-income nations. Dedicated programs ensure patients can benefit from innovative treatments. In summary, South Asia is vital for Bayer Pharma, combining business growth with efforts to expand access to essential medicines.
EF: How does Bayer ensure product access across diverse economic groups? How do you partner with local authorities and companies?
SR: Access begins with the rapid introduction of innovative treatments. Bayer Pharma India recently launched groundbreaking drugs for heart failure, chronic kidney disease associated with diabetes, and prostate cancer within 15 to 18 months of their global launch—an unprecedented timeline for India. This "speed to launch" is a critical first step in improving access.
The second step is a tiered pricing approach. Medicines are priced significantly lower than in U.S. and European markets, aligned with local affordability. Patient access and support programs further enhance affordability, ensuring wider reach for individuals with lower incomes.
The third pillar is partnerships. For example, for drugs addressing chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and worsening heart failure, Bayer collaborates with local companies like Sun Pharma and DRL. These partnerships extend the reach of these medicines to tier 2 and smaller markets where Bayer lacks direct access.
The fourth pillar is stakeholder engagement. Collaborations with government bodies, healthcare professionals, and key opinion leaders help raise awareness of these treatments and educate stakeholders on their benefits for patients.
These four pillars—rapid innovation, tiered pricing, strategic partnerships, and stakeholder collaboration—form the foundation of Bayer's efforts to improve access to medicines across all therapy areas.
EF: How is Bayer leveraging local capabilities in India and South Asia to drive innovation and contribute to global growth?
SR: India plays a crucial role in Bayer’s global operations. The country currently contributes to around 17 clinical trials under Bayer’s global initiative, supporting key phase three and four studies. It also hosts a Global Capability Center in Hyderabad and R&D centers that manage critical data analytics and research for Bayer worldwide.
In Bangalore, Bayer’s Global Business Services (GBS) center, with over 800 employees and growing, provides essential support for global projects. These centers leverage India’s skilled talent pool to drive global initiatives and broader objectives.
By focusing on clinical trials and R&D and utilizing talent through its GBS and capability centers, Bayer has positioned India as a key hub for innovation and global support.
EF: How do you predict the future of digital health in India, and what opportunities do you foresee for its advancement and growth?
SR: Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are transforming the future of pharma, and this aligns closely with the Indian government's Digital Health Mission, which focuses on digitalizing health data. This presents an excellent opportunity for companies to invest in AI and digital tools to enable predictive health analysis and advance precision medicine.
For Bayer, data is at the core of driving research and development efforts. India offers an abundance of skilled talent, including engineering, medical, and pharmacy graduates, which makes it a valuable contributor to these innovations. Bayer is actively working to align with the Indian government’s Digital Health Mission and exploring ways to collaborate on digital health initiatives to support local and global objectives.
EF: How has the implementation of the Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO) impacted your operations in South Asia, and how are you driving its execution?
SR: Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO) represents a cultural change that empowers frontline teams and those closest to customers with full ownership and accountability for decision-making. It involves reimagining processes to make them leaner and faster with a focus on adding value and enhancing customer satisfaction. The goal is to eliminate bureaucracy, enabling decisions made by those who best understand customer needs.
While we continue to plan for the long term, DSO emphasizes agility and speed, encouraging work in 90-day cycles. Teams focus on short-term goals, adjusting direction if results aren’t achieved within the cycle. This approach fosters small, efficient teams and flexibility to address challenges quickly.
In India, DSO was introduced in January 2024 and is already yielding positive results. Teams feel more empowered to make decisions as multi-layer approvals are pruned, making processes more efficient. With fewer organizational layers, decisions are faster, and customers, including doctors, have noticed more efficient solutions. Though still in its early stages, DSO is proving to be an effective, modern operating model—faster, more agile, and with decision-making closer to the ground.
EF: Moving beyond the "pharmacy of the world," what new role would you predict for India as the country’s health industry evolves?
SR: The way our government sees it, the next step for India is to move beyond scaling up production volumes and focus on innovation for the global market. India has the capability—not only to produce at scale but also to replicate and adapt successfully. However, the key is to adopt original innovation that can address global challenges. The government is actively supporting this shift by encouraging startups and promoting initiatives through think tanks. "Innovate for the world" should be India’s goal moving forward. To achieve the ambition of becoming the third-largest economy globally, India must drive innovation and create solutions that cater to the world’s future needs.
EF: Moving “beyond the pill,” what are some of the key missions in India and South Asia that are creating societal impact?
SR: Our global 100 million sustainability goal is a key focus, with South Asia playing a crucial role in achieving it. We are committed to providing access to modern contraception for 100 million women in low- and middle-income countries by 2030. This goal aligns closely with improving the lives of women in the region. To realize this, we are partnering with organizations like The Challenge Initiative, UNFPA, UN agencies, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. While these are global partners, we collaborate locally in countries such as India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan to drive meaningful impact.
We are also engaging in initiatives that go "beyond the pill." For example, we have partnered with AIIMS Delhi on a cancer detection program to identify cases early. Another significant effort is the Preserve the Uterus program in India, addressing high rates of hysterectomy by promoting modern methods to reduce unnecessary procedures when medical intervention can be avoided.
These efforts, including our sustainability goals, cancer detection initiatives, and public health collaborations, aim to create lasting societal impact. We remain committed to advancing these programs and working for the greater good.
EF: What advice would you share with other women striving to excel in leadership roles?
SR: First, never see yourself as "a woman walking into a meeting room or boardroom." Instead, view yourself as a valuable contributor to the organization and society, fully part of the ecosystem. That mindset is your first victory. Second, stay committed to your career. I understand that a woman’s career often involves balancing personal milestones and responsibilities, which can make it tempting to step away. However, remember that a career is a long journey—35 to 40 years—and staying invested is important if you are truly passionate about what you do. Lastly, there is no substitute for hard work. Keep working hard, remain focused, and align yourself with mentors and supportive organizations like Bayer.
EF: Do you want to share a final message with our readers?
SR: For Bayer South Asia, innovation and access are the key pillars driving our progress, and we are on the right track to serve our customers and patients. Our growth is fueled by both new and established products in South Asia, a vital market for us.
