Why I started ChaiTalks

When I started my career, I knew my textbooks well. What I didn't know was how the industry actually worked: who sponsors a clinical trial, what a CRO does, why a contract or a vendor decision can delay a study by months, or which roles even existed beyond the ones my syllabus mentioned.

I learned all of that on the job, over more than a decade. Many students today are in the same position I was.

The gap is real

India's pharma industry is growing fast, and it needs people trained in clinical research, regulatory science, pharmacovigilance and digital skills. At the same time, the number of pharmacy colleges has grown sharply. More graduates, the same uncertainty about what comes next.

The new B.Pharm curriculum is a welcome step. But students already in their final years will graduate without it.

What ChaiTalks will do

• Explain the industry as it really works, not as a textbook diagram.
• Talk honestly about careers: the roles, the expectations and the first 90 days.
• Explore AI and digital tools realistically, through experiments I build and share openly.

This isn't about selling a course. It's about sharing what I've learned so the next generation can start a little further ahead than I did.

If you're a student, a faculty member or an industry colleague, I'd love to hear your view. Share it here.