Welcome back to the exclusive ‘Pharma Leaders’ text-podcast section on Pharma Vacancy! In today’s episode, we bring you the unfiltered ground reality of the pharmaceutical sales industry. Our highly esteemed guest today is Kumar Kanchan Munian, an industry veteran who has recently taken on a new leadership role and is currently based in Tanzania. With over 18 years of profound experience in Pharmaceutical Sales, Brand Launch, and Distribution Management, Kumar Kanchan Munian brings a wealth of knowledge from his extensive journey across various geographies.
In this session, he sheds light on two of the most burning topics for today’s Medical Representatives and managers: the reasons behind the skyrocketing competition in the market and the root causes of unethical pressure on the field force. Let’s dive straight into his invaluable insights.
Kumar Kanchan Munian Explains Why Competition is Increasing in the Pharma Industry
The 6 Major Market Dynamics Triggering High Competition According to Kumar Kanchan Munian
Pharma Vacancy (Host): Sir, a very warm welcome to Pharma Vacancy. Today, we are witnessing an unprecedented rise in competition within the pharmaceutical industry. From the expert perspective of Kumar Kanchan Munian, could you decode why…
Kumar Kanchan Munian: Thank you. That is a very relevant question. Based on my understanding of the current market dynamics, there are six primary reasons behind this massive surge in competition:
1. The Rise of PDC Companies: Firstly, the number of Propaganda Cum Distribution (PDC) companies has increased manifold. If you exclude the top metro cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, or Hyderabad, and look at states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Bengal, you will see that from tier-2 towns to village markets, these PDC companies have flooded the landscape. This has drastically multiplied the competition at the local level.
2. Government Policies and Jan Aushadhi Stores: Secondly, the modus operandi of supplying medicines to large and medium-sized state government hospitals has changed completely. Alongside this, the central government has successfully launched ‘Jan Aushadhi’ stores. As a result, a massive chunk of the patient pool has been diverted there. These patients are no longer focusing heavily on specific brands or premium quality; their primary focus is affordability, which shifts the market share away from traditional ethical promotions.
3. The Impact of Online Pharmacies: The third major factor is the boom of online medical shops. People are increasingly purchasing ethical and generic medicines online. This means a good percentage of patients have completely stepped out of the physical market, further intensifying the fight for the remaining prescriptions among field forces.
4. The Mismatch Between Patient Pool and Brand Launches: Fourth, there is a huge mismatch in expectations. Suppose a semi-urban or rural patch has around 5,000 to 6,000 patients for a particular therapy. Now, companies are constantly launching new brands every year. Older brands want double-digit growth, and newly launched brands expect a 25% market share right away. However, the actual number of patients is not growing at that phenomenal rate! This mismatch automatically forces intense competition.
5. Pre-planned Financial Agreements: Fifth, in many areas, specific companies establish financial agreements with doctors right before the new financial year begins. Because of these locked-in arrangements, other companies do not even get a fair chance to enter that market or gain a share of the prescriptions.
6. Over-focus on Conventional Therapies in Rural Markets: Lastly, the consumption pattern in rural and semi-urban markets is still heavily reliant on conventional, traditional medicines—like antacids, constipation relief, fever, pain management, basic antibiotics, and hypertension. Almost every company is rushing into this same segment. There is very little scientific discussion or sensitization happening with doctors regarding modern therapies like advanced respiratory care. Consequently, the market isn’t growing as expected, and everyone is fighting for the same conventional pie.
Unethical Pressure on Field Force: Ground Reality by Kumar Kanchan Munian
The 8 Root Causes Impacting Medical Representatives
Pharma Vacancy (Host): Sir, those points are absolute eye-openers. Moving to our next critical question, which directly affects our readers who are preparing with our MR Interview Guide. Young MRs and even experienced professionals often face severe unethical pressure in the field. What, according to Kumar Kanchan Munian, are the root causes of this pressure?
Kumar Kanchan Munian: This is a very serious issue, and the ground reality is quite harsh. I can identify eight fundamental reasons why the field force is subjected to such unethical pressure:
1. Substandard Leadership: Unfortunately, the Indian pharma industry has seen a rise in substandard leadership. Many individuals in managerial positions are not playing the role of true leaders; instead, they are functioning more like peons, simply passing down orders without any strategic guidance.
2. Toxic In-house Politics: In-house politics, partiality, and gossip have become the key drivers of work culture in many places. Instead of fostering an innovative and real working environment, these toxic elements destroy the peace and productivity of the field force.
3. The ‘Copy-Paste’ Strategy: Companies are heavily relying on copy-paste methodologies rather than visionary medicine launches. If one company succeeds with a molecule, others blindly launch the same thing. If the competitor gives two pens to a doctor, they decide to give five. Before a brand is even launched, there are already ten strong competitors standing like a barrier. This lack of innovation forces managers to apply unethical pressure on the MRs to generate sales by any means.
4. Artificial Intelligence vs. Ground Reality: Today, top management often sits in air-conditioned rooms and makes strategic decisions based solely on Artificial Intelligence and data analytics. However, there is a massive gap between AI data and the actual ground reality. Because of this disconnect, management makes flawed decisions, and the ultimate price is paid by the field force who are pressured to achieve unrealistic numbers.
5. Shifting Mindset of Medical Practitioners: A harsh ground reality is that a large percentage of doctors today (approximately 50% to 70%) are more interested in monetary activities and engagements rather than upgrading their scientific knowledge. They do not want to standardize themselves to international levels. If any issue arises, they know they can throw money at politics or the system to sort it out. This shifts the entire promotion from science to pure transactions.
6. Misuse of Technology by Gen-Z: The new Gen-Z workforce is highly tech-savvy, which is a great advantage. However, relying purely on technological knowledge while ignoring the ground reality is nonsense. Human relationships and field dynamics cannot be ignored. A mismatch between tech reliance and ground reality creates unnecessary chaos.
7. Lack of Innovation in Speciality Segments: The few professionals who truly understand the ground reality, blend it with technology, and apply innovative ideas in super-specialty segments are achieving tremendous success and enjoying their work. But sadly, this focused, scientific approach is missing in the broader market.
8. Management Lacking Passion: The biggest reason for unethical pressure is the lack of innovative, creative, and ideation-driven manpower in leadership. Most managers are only focused on saving their own chairs. There is no true passion for the work. And when passion is missing, accountability vanishes. This directly translates into baseless, unethical pressure on the medical representatives executing the tasks on the ground.
Pharma Vacancy (Host): This interview with Kumar Kanchan Munian will undoubtedly serve as a masterclass. We thank Mr. Kumar Kanchan Munian for his valuable time! On behalf of the entire Pharma Vacancy team, we thank you for your valuable time!
To explore more about his incredible professional journey, you can connect with Kumar Kanchan Munian on LinkedIn.
Friends, if you want to stay updated with more such exclusive leadership insights and verified Pharma Sales Jobs, make sure to follow Pharma Vacancy!