How future partnerships, collaborations will roll out in a COVID world
Partnerships and collaborations, especially those through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model with governments, will indeed play a key role in advancing public health and the economy in this COVID era

- Aug 10, 2020,
- Updated Aug 10, 2020 4:06 PM IST
The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the world economy with millions of people infected globally. There are a growing number of challenges in the COVID world starting with finding a cure and helping the loss of livelihoods to recover. The disease is hurting the most vulnerable sections of society, elderly citizens that have co-morbid conditions or those that live in situations where social distancing is not possible, such as the slums in urban cities.
The silver lining is that scientists are collaborating at the speed of sound and are willing to share their data with other scientists that are perhaps in a faraway country. Universities are providing quick dissemination of Public Health and Science information to their alumni worldwide.
As the pandemic evolves, guidelines continue to change quickly on therapies that were effective, and the medical fraternity is moving rapidly to share their successes with treatments or report treatments that were not working.
Vaccine research is accelerating with scientists working on research and production across the globe. The idea and concept of repurposing drugs, which was not in the regulatory vocabulary before COVID-19, is generating nearly 2000 trials across the globe, where even governments are looking to speed up regulatory oversight and investing in drugs that may work and are affordable.
Mahatma Gandhi once said that India resides in its villages, and therefore it is of utmost importance to develop them. An example of this today is the transformation of the 115 aspirational districts, the remotest districts of India, identified by PM Modi, and driven by the NITI Aayog, India's foremost think tank.
Developing these Districts as far as healthcare, education, infrastructure, etc. is concerned, can lead to an increase in India's GDP growth by 1-2%, and lead to a balanced development across the country. In the history of mankind, never has there been more need for people with varied training - from doctors, pharmaceutical companies to policymakers, to come together to fight the battle against COVID.
Partnerships and collaborations, especially those through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model with governments, will indeed play a key role in advancing public health and the economy in this COVID era. This is the most opportune time for all of us to collaborate with each other and support the government in its endeavor to make self-reliance, or 'Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat' a national movement.
(The author is Vice Chairperson, Piramal Group and a Padma Shri Awardee)
The COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the world economy with millions of people infected globally. There are a growing number of challenges in the COVID world starting with finding a cure and helping the loss of livelihoods to recover. The disease is hurting the most vulnerable sections of society, elderly citizens that have co-morbid conditions or those that live in situations where social distancing is not possible, such as the slums in urban cities.
The silver lining is that scientists are collaborating at the speed of sound and are willing to share their data with other scientists that are perhaps in a faraway country. Universities are providing quick dissemination of Public Health and Science information to their alumni worldwide.
As the pandemic evolves, guidelines continue to change quickly on therapies that were effective, and the medical fraternity is moving rapidly to share their successes with treatments or report treatments that were not working.
Vaccine research is accelerating with scientists working on research and production across the globe. The idea and concept of repurposing drugs, which was not in the regulatory vocabulary before COVID-19, is generating nearly 2000 trials across the globe, where even governments are looking to speed up regulatory oversight and investing in drugs that may work and are affordable.
Mahatma Gandhi once said that India resides in its villages, and therefore it is of utmost importance to develop them. An example of this today is the transformation of the 115 aspirational districts, the remotest districts of India, identified by PM Modi, and driven by the NITI Aayog, India's foremost think tank.
Developing these Districts as far as healthcare, education, infrastructure, etc. is concerned, can lead to an increase in India's GDP growth by 1-2%, and lead to a balanced development across the country. In the history of mankind, never has there been more need for people with varied training - from doctors, pharmaceutical companies to policymakers, to come together to fight the battle against COVID.
Partnerships and collaborations, especially those through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model with governments, will indeed play a key role in advancing public health and the economy in this COVID era. This is the most opportune time for all of us to collaborate with each other and support the government in its endeavor to make self-reliance, or 'Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat' a national movement.
(The author is Vice Chairperson, Piramal Group and a Padma Shri Awardee)