Ramanbhai B Patel, chairman of the Zydus Cadila group, passed away today at 7.00 am following a cardiac arrest. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son Pankaj R Patel, who is the current managing director of the group.
A first generation entrepreneur, Ramanbhai was one of the stalwarts of the Indian pharmaceutical industry.
Soon after independence, when India was heavily dependent on imports of drugs and pharmaceuticals, a determined Ramanbhai along with his school friend Indravadan A Modi (current chairman of the Cadila Pharma group) set out to prove that an indigenous company could provide innovative, research-based quality medicines by setting up Cadila Laboratories in 1951, with a combined capital of Rs 25,000.
Zydus Cadila is an offshoot of the erstwhile Cadila Laboratories, after the latter was restructured in 1995.
The Zydus Cadila group today stands testimony to Ramanbhai's visionary foresight in the field of healthcare and today the group enjoys the distinction of being the fourth largest pharma group in the country.
Ramanbhai's contribution to the sphere of pharmaceutical education even precedes his role as a pharmacist-entrepreneur. Soon after his graduation in 1950, Ramanbhai joined the L M College of Pharmacy in Ahmedabad as a lecturer.
Ramanbhai's contribution in the field of pharmaceutical education is quite noteworthy. He took an active interest in promotion of pharmaceutical education in Gujarat and was a member on the management board and advisory committees of several pharmacy colleges in the state.
He was also the national president of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association during 1988-90 and has also been associated with the Pharmacy Council of India since 1977 as member of the executive committee. He was also the president of Gujarat State Pharmacy Council.
In recognition of his services, Ramanbhai had been bestowed with several prestigious awards. They include the President of India's Import Substitution Award in 1973 for inventing a new process technology for Glibenclamide, Prof M L Shroff Memorial National Award in 1987, The Glory of India Award in 1991 in Washington, Grahak Suraksha Award in 1992, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Memorial Gold Medal in 1993, the Eminent Pharmacist Award in 1994 and the Gujarat Chamber of Industry and Commerce's Gujarat Businessman of the Year Award in 2000.
