Samprada Singh Founder and chairman, Alkem Laboratories

A graduate from Patna University with a humble family background becomes the head of a leading pharmaceutical company in India. This is the success story of Samprada Singh, founder and chairman of Alkem Laboratories, a Rs 1,000 crore company.

Born and brought up in Bihar, Singh lived with his parents, three brothers and a grandmother. He went to Ghosi High School from where he did his matriculation in 1946 with a second division. Singh aspired to be a doctor but his marks did not permit him to pursue his dream. So he studied commerce at Gaya College and graduated in 1950.

“While at college, the thought of being an entrepreneur never crossed my mind. I wanted to go in for agriculture,” says Singh. However, destiny had other plans. “There were successive droughts in Bihar at that time and I was finally compelled to give up agriculture.”

In 1953, Singh started his first business, a small chemist’s store in Patna. “My parents did not want me to concentrate on agriculture as I was the first graduate in my village. It was then that I thought of opening a chemist’s shop. Even though I could not become a doctor, I felt that by being a retail chemist, I would be able to stay close to the medical profession,” says he.

His parents did support Singh with a small initial investment. This young entrepreneur also received financial help from some of his friends, which enabled him to set up his business.

It was not smooth sailing. “The business of being a retail chemist was not easy. I observed that the salesman had to remember the name of the product as well as the price,” recounts Singh. In the age of computers it might be a little difficult to gauge his problem but at that time medicine cartons did not have the price printed on them. However his perseverance and sincerity paid off and he was able to rattle off the prices in three-four months.

Seven years after opening his medical store, Singh felt it wasn’t enough. He started a pharmaceutical distribution business in 1960 under the banner Magadh Pharma. “I was successful in doing so because I had maintained good relations with the chiefs of many pharmaceutical companies and they, in turn, offered me the distributorship for entire Bihar. This was the starting point of my growth.”

But realising how limited the opportunities for the distribution business in Patna were, he moved to Mumbai. Here he decided to set up his own pharmaceutical company under the name Alkem Laboratories. The company’s beginnings were not easy, admits Singh. “There were many in the industry who did not wish to see me succeed,” he says.

The capital initially invested was small, and the first few years were difficult. Then came the turning point that catapulted Alkem into the big league. In 1989, Alkem successfully manufactured and marketed Taxim, a generic version of the antibiotic cefotaxime. “I focussed on making quality products and helping ailing patients by not charging very high prices.” This was the beginning of Alkem’s growth.

Singh feels that the Indian pharmaceutical industry is growing fast, with high quality products being available at globally competitive prices. He believes that Alkem’s strength is its in-depth research and the ability to launch new products while maintaining quality and price. “We have started a health food division and we are confident that it will take off in a big way in the next few years.”

Alkem undertakes various social service initiatives. It conducts and also participates in medical camps as well as donates medicines to various charitable institutions.

Yoga in the mornings and brisk walks in the evenings help Singh to stay physically, mentally and spiritually fit. As does competition. Singh views competition as something necessary and healthy. “Competition has never scared me and I have always accepted it as a challenge to grow and bring out the best abilities within me.”

Based on a conversation with Devlina Ganguly in Calcutta