CEO Insights Magazine

By overcoming patriarchal dominance, women all over the world, have emerged as leaders and decision-makers whose talent, intelligence, perseverance, dedication, and creativity are driving significant changes in a variety of sectors. One such business leader is Neha Agarwal (Director, Everest Parenterals). She has over 10 years of demonstrated record in developing & implementing solutions to multidimensional complex operational problems. Her unmatched experience in developing business plans, enabling profitability maximization/revenue generation, improving operations, and enhancing business growth has taken Everest Parenterals to newer heights in the healthcare industry. As the Director, Neha has helped her team build the largest injectable plant in the country and has played a major role in making it the fastest-growing pharmaceutical manufacturing organization in Nepal. She is playing a paramount role as a change agent and contributing immensely to the economic growth of the country. Let’s hear it from her. How would you define Everest Parenterals as an organization and its current position in the market? Everest Parenterals is a first-of-its-kind state-of the-art sterile manufacturing plant in Nepal. We are the largest manufacturer of sterile injectables with large volume and small volume parenteral. We were the only company to successfully manufacture VTM (Viral Transport Medium) during Covid. Our dominance in the country's market is due to our expertise and advancement in the Formulation & Development of Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD). Our facility includes automated LVP & SVP production facilities, a hi-tech 6,000 sq. ft. of quality control laboratory, and a dedicated Formulation & Development facility. We are moving with a rapid scale of growth with a vision to provide Nepal with high-quality injectables at low costs making it self-sufficient in injectable products.

Tell us about your flagship offerings and value additions that customers can expect from your offerings. Our plant is the first plant in Nepal that facilitates the manufacturing of Large Volume Parenterals, Small Volume Parenterals, Eye/Ear Drops & Nasal Spray under one roof which are sterilized at 121 degrees centigrade. Our capacities - LVP:PP Bottle - 2500 Bottles per hour, Non-PVC Flexi Bags - 2500 bags per hour, SVP Ampoules - 14000 ampoules per hour, Vials - 7500 vials per hour, Eye/Ear Drops - 14000 eye/ear drops per hour, and Nasal Sprays - 7000 nasal sprays per hour. Also, we have very stringent quality assurance policies to ensure quality and compliance in our manufacturing.

Tell us about your leadership approach, and the guidelines or methodologies you follow to lead your team. Teams are the primary driving force behind the organizational performance. I believe in a more synergistic way of working, where the sum is greater than the parts. Properly managed teamwork maximizes strengths and brings out the best in each team member. As a leader, I believe in communicating the vision of the organization and creating opportunities for team members to prosper. In doing so, I influence employees to perform at optimum levels to achieve company goals.

Could you reflect on some of the toughest challenges you have encountered in your journey so far? How did you overcome them? The Covid-19 pandemic acted as a major setback in our business majorly because we had just set up our plant when the waves hit us. Our initial penetration in the market went down as compared to our expectations. However, the successful manufacturing of VTM acted as a ray of sunlight on a stormy day. Despite the challenging situation, we were able to acquire our product license and launch our product in the market during Covid. We not only got back on our feet but helped the country carry out the safe transfer of viruses for diagnostic purposes.

What is the future destination you are heading towards? Our mission is to become the leading sterile injectable manufacturing & distribution company in the country. Right now, we have around 64 products in the market but the R&D team is all geared up to launch a total number of 150 products over the span of two years. We are looking for opportunities to export our products to the Philippines and Africa. We have even applied for WHO GMP certification (a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled, according to quality standards). Acquiring the WHO GMP certification will open doors for us to provide high-quality affordable injectables all over the world.

Based on your experience, what advice would you like to give to budding entrepreneurs or business leaders? Start by identifying a gap that needs to be filled; it is not about doing something new but doing something different. And while it’s important your idea should be a profitable one, it should also align with your interests. Having a lot of patience and energy will help you to move forward and stay competitive. Also, surrounding yourself with professionals who are hardworking, committed, and driven like you is a winning combination.

Neha Agarwal, Director, Everest Parenterals Having an MBA from the University of Wollongong in Dubai and rich experience in leading a reputed business in Nepal, Neha is embracing the challenges in the healthcare industry and thriving to bring economic growth, innovation, creativity, and productivity to the country.

•Hobbies: Travelling •Favorite Cuisine: Thai, Japanese •Favorite Travel Destination: Bali