A healthy trend

Best letter - A healthy trend

Blockbuster Gambit (BT, January 27, 2008) brings into focus the attempt of seven big Indian pharma companies to invest hundreds of crores of rupees into drug research. India has the advantage of having a talent pool of highly-skilled scientists and also facilities for carrying out clinical trials. Even if these companies succeed in one new discovery, it will change the face of Indian pharma and make it a force to reckon with globally.

A. Jacob Sahayam, through e-mail

Funds for R&D Still an Issue

Advancements in science and technology have made it imperative for pharma companies to invest in finding new chemical entities (Blockbuster Gambit, January 27, 2008). Indian pharma majors have already made their mark globally by providing generics to the needy at competitive prices. Now they are investing in R&D in a big way, despite the uncertainties involved. There is no dearth of talent in the country but concerns about adequate funding remain. The money going into R&D in India is still insignificant compared to the budget of global drug giants. Perhaps a collective effort by various companies at setting up a joint R&D establishment will help make a difference.

R.K. Sudan, through e-mail

Way to Go for Canara Bank

The entry of new generation private banks has made the turf a lot tougher for state-owned banks (Banking on the Brand, January 27, 2008). This has made the public sector banks consistently realign their strategies in tune with the market forces. The prudent and cautious banking policy pursued ever since the time of S.R. Pai in 1906 has made Canara Bank one of the leading banks in the country. Even while growing organically, it has never been averse to inorganic growth, as and when the opportunity arose.

With a hefty business portfolio of over Rs. 2,50,000 crore and a comfortable capital adequacy ratio, the bank is well on course to becoming a global one and take on new and greater challenges. Canara Bank has done the right thing at the right time to retain its competitive edge.

Srinivasan Umashankar, through e-mail

Only traditional mishti will do

Makeover for mishti (BT, January 27, 2008) is taking place on a minuscule scale. Your story gives the impression that mishti in new flavours and avtaar has become a trend in Kolkata (I don’t think there will be any market for fusion mishti outside the city). It would have been worthwhile to know how many people buy such sweets compared to the traditional ones on a daily basis (and most Bengali households do buy sweets everyday).

Being a Bengali and living in Kolkata, I think the mishti makeover is limited to high-society parties and it does not have a wide market yet and is unlikely to have one. It’s like saying “let’s have pancakes with nalen gur (date molasses)”. Why go for something else when the original is available and so good. Anybody for jhaal moori (puffed rice) with a sprinkling of dried shrimps?

Deepti Roy, through e-mail

Participation of people important

Rehabilitation of project oustees is always tardy and does not always get the requisite priority (That Sinking Feeling, BT, January 27). Big dams generate big problems and bigger controversies, as seen in the case of Sardar Sarovar Dam. The local people should be fully involved and taken into confidence at every stage of any development project. Their cooperation and voluntary participation will ensure that there are minimum hassles in the execution of the project. This is a lesson, hopefully, our government should have learnt by now.

D.B.N. Murthy, through e-mail

Correction

In Can this marriage work? (BT, January 27, 2008), the number of employees per aircraft for the combined entity in the table The Marriage in Numbers should have been 103 and not 203. The error is regretted. 

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