When COVID-19 hit India's pharmaceutical industry in 2020, it exposed critical weaknesses in how medicines reached patients across the country. What started as a crisis response became an opportunity for lasting transformation of the entire supply chain. The Crisis That Changed Everything The pandemic brought India's pharma distribution to a near standstill. Operations dropped to just 15% of normal levels, threatening the medicine supply for over a billion people. Raw material imports were stuck due to government embargoes, and the entire supply chain was breaking down. Led and co-ordinated by Roshan Tathed, Industry leaders were brought together to form a policy committee to tackle these immediate challenges. Roshan, with his IIT Bombay background and holding a key position as the Strategic Projects Manager at IPA, played a key role in coordinating with government officials and presenting data that helped in making a strong case for lifting critical drug import restrictions. The team also set up control rooms to keep domestic drug production running during the lockdowns to ensure key medicines reached patients in the remote parts of the world. At the heart of Roshan’s leadership philosophy was a data-driven approach combined with remarkable stakeholder management skills. Working directly with government officials during bureaucratically challenging times, he presented compelling evidence that prompted the lifting of critical raw-material import embargoes. Simultaneously, answering Prime Minister Modi's call for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-reliant India), Roshan established strategic partnerships to maintain uninterrupted domestic drug production despite overwhelming odds. Most impressively, while managing these high-level initiatives, Roshan never lost sight of operational details. He crafted meticulous geography and domain-specific deployment strategies to mobilize pharmaceutical field forces for efficient nationwide drug distribution. Through this comprehensive leadership approach, what seemed impossible became reality—operations recovered to approximately 100% capacity in just eight weeks, a remarkable achievement that earned him recognition throughout the industry. Beyond Crisis Management While the immediate crisis needed attention, it became clear that the industry required bigger structural changes. The rise of e-pharmacy companies was already disrupting traditional distribution, squeezing margins, and making companies hesitant about new investments. Working with industry leaders, Roshan helped develop the business case for what would become DigiHealth - a digital platform designed to connect the entire pharmaceutical retail chain. The goal was to create an efficient pharmaceutical retail supply chain that would use technology to benefit manufacturers, distributors, and, ultimately, patients significantly. The Challenge of Uniting Competitors Getting competing pharmaceutical companies to work together and invest in a shared platform was no small task. These companies have been and continue to be competitors for decades. Roshan Tathed's consulting background proved valuable in presenting the opportunity in terms that each company could understand. The process involved months of stakeholder engagement, breaking down a five-year strategy into clear value propositions. The key was demonstrating how industry-wide collaboration could create benefits that individual companies couldn't achieve alone, while being compliant in the realm of competitive guidelines Creating DigiHealth The effort eventually brought together 17 major pharmaceutical companies, including Cipla, Dr. Reddy's, Lupin, Sun Pharma, and others, who committed ~$100 million to the initiative. The resulting venture, DigiHealth Technologies LLP (a wholly-owned entity of ABCD Technologies, later renamed IndoHealth Services LLP), successfully acquired strategic assets in AIOCD Pharmasofttech AWACS and Pharmarack Technologies to create India's largest integrated B2B healthcare platform Today, DigiHealth connects over a million retailers across India's pharmaceutical value chain. The platform optimizes inventory, provides sales insights, and is expected to generate an estimated $500 million in annual savings across the industry. More than that, it revolutionized medication accessibility for countless patients across India and the world. Impact and Recognition For Roshan Tathed, the DigiHealth venture represents more than just a successful project—it stands as a defining achievement in healthcare transformation. The initiative earned coverage in major publications like Economic Times, LiveMint, and Indian Startup News. More importantly, it aligned with the government's National Digital Health Mission, contributing to the digital infrastructure needed for integrated healthcare across the country. For the pharmaceutical industry, DigiHealth represented a new model of collaboration. Companies that had traditionally competed found ways to work together for mutual benefit, creating a template for future industry initiatives. Legacy of Leadership: A Model for Industry Transformation Legacy of Leadership: A Model for Industry Transformation Beyond the tangible business results, Roshan's leadership during this venture exemplifies how strategic vision combined with execution excellence can transform an entire industry's trajectory. His approach—bridging analytical thinking with strategic execution—has become a model for leaders navigating complex, multi-stakeholder environments. As an exceptional business strategist, Roshan Tathed continues to bring his global perspective and entrepreneurial insight to strategic endeavours. The pharmaceutical supply chain digitalization project stands as compelling evidence that dedicated leadership, strategic thinking, and collaborative approaches can overcome even the most daunting industry challenges, creating a lasting impact that extends far beyond bottom-line results. About Roshan Tathed Roshan Tathed brings a unique combination of analytical thinking and practical business experience to complex challenges. With an engineering degree from IIT Bombay and later an MBA from Harvard Business School, he has worked across technology startups, product management, and large-scale business transformation projects. His experience spans multiple industries and includes co-founding an AI-powered networking tool, demonstrating his commitment to using technology to solve real business problems. Having worked across different cultural environments and travelled to 25 countries, he brings a global perspective to local challenges. Currently based in New Jersey, Roshan continues to focus on business innovation through technology-enabled solutions. His work on the pharmaceutical digitalization initiative shows how strategic thinking combined with stakeholder management can drive meaningful industry transformation. This story was distributed as a release by Echospire Media under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Echospire Media under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. This story was distributed as a release by Echospire Media under HackerNoon’s Business Blogging Program. Learn more about the program here .
