Interview with Narendra Saini, Chief Digital Officer, Lupin Limited -

Narendra Saini, Chief Digital Officer, Lupin Limited

The healthcare industry is at the forefront of digital transformation. Enterprises in this sector are fast adopting new-age solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) and internet of things (IoT), supported by 5G connectivity, to enhance patient care and optimise operational workflows. Industry leaders share their views on the key technology trends, digital initiatives and future outlook for the sector…

What are the key technology trends revolutionising the healthcare sector? What are the use cases of AI, IoT and 5G in the industry?

The pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors are on the brink of a global revolution. We are witnessing the emergence of a well-integrated, interconnected, operationally efficient and patient-centric model. The convergence of various cutting-edge technologies such as AI and generative AI (GenAI), ML, intelligent automation, IoT and robotics, combined with innovative collaborations among diverse stakeholders in pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, will drive this change.

In healthcare, there is an enriched patient experience through amalgamation of technologies with a significant shift from reactive to predictive, personalised care. This shift will allow patients to tailor care based on the data sought through medical-grade IoMT devices and bring into effect proactive care.

The following are the key trends in this space.

Data-driven drug development: Data is one of the most powerful assets for achieving significant breakthroughs in discovering and developing new drugs and new applications for existing compounds. Combining the power of available macro-data, AI and digital simulations, both generic and novel drug development will be transformed.

Personalised medicine: Combining technologies can ensure that each stage in drug development is based on diverse, nuanced and actual patient populations. By using advanced analytics, ML and the potential of quantum computing to obtain more helpful information, clinical research will focus on generating personalised therapies that consider the individual patient’s precise conditions rather than a general disease.

Digital therapeutics (DTx): Digital therapeutics treat patients using evidence-based software and digital devices, reducing drug use. DTx has made it possible to monitor heart rate, blood pressure and glucose levels remotely.

AR/VR in therapy: AR/VR technologies are particularly useful in therapy, pain management, physiotherapy, remote maintenance and more. VR therapy will gain traction in 2024 as an effective tool for treating various mental health conditions and reducing pain without the need for medication. Conversely, AR is becoming popular for remote maintenance with a limited need for travel and helping early resolution of issues.

What were the digital initiatives taken by you during the past year? How did they help optimise business efficiency?

At Lupin, we have implemented advanced and emerging technologies and continue to streamline our digital foundation and business value realisation through them. Some of them are:

Advanced analytics through yield and utility optimisation, quality and manufacturing and quality operations and forensic data analysis for cross-correlation of anomalies;
Industrial IoT and advanced sensorisation across processes for predictive management and control;
System integration across processes;
AR/VR implementation for process improvement and learning;
Data lake implementation as part of the enterprise-wide data strategy;
Onboarding corporate functions to the enterprise business intelligence platform with leading and lagging indicators;
Digital performance management;
Gamified learning platform;
GenAI-based digital assistance for commercial activities, manufacturing, and learning and development.

What are the security risks while dealing with sensitive customer/business data? How do you address these?

The pharmaceutical and healthcare industry is one of the most vulnerable and biggest targets for cyberattacks because of the amount of critical data organisations hold, the valuable technology they rely on and the strict privacy guidelines they must comply with.

Implementing robust cybersecurity measures, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems and regular security updates is critical to tackling security risks. Endpoint security is another crucial aspect and employees are vital to the security establishment.

From a technological point of view, information at rest or in transit needs to be protected. One must consider using encryption for data at rest and during transmission, developing incident response plans to minimise downtime and keeping a back-up of critical data to restore operations swiftly whenever needed. A comprehensive data governance policy is recommended. Further, it is essential to comply with various data-related regulations, e.g., General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Central Consumer Protection Authority and DPDP, communicate transparently with affected parties during incidents and take necessary steps as part of the incident response mechanism.

What are the tech trends that will transform the healthcare space in 2024? What are your digital transformation plans for this year?

We will see the emergence of leaner business models in 2024 and beyond, extensively utilising the capabilities of emerging technologies. With the digital-first approach becoming a more natural choice, big data, analytics, extreme automation, integration and breaking silos by design will drive efficiency and improved quality for these projects. Privacy and security will remain at the top of the agenda for most pharma and healthcare companies.

The specialised drug market will expand, making these drugs more affordable and reliable. GenAI will accelerate drug introduction and lifecycles in general. A mismatch will be seen in skills available and skills required as change management becomes rapid with technology deployment.

Like most in the industry, we shall continue to focus on expanding the AI/ML portfolio across different functions and drive for incremental improvement avenues. We shall plan further expansion of the digitally interconnected systems through real-time monitoring, reporting and data analytics to deliver analytics at speed directly to be consumed by the end user. We also plan to expand the IIoT use cases, predictive maintenance of capital assets, and AR/VR use cases horizontally. We also intend to use the data platform extensively to democratise data analysis within the organisation.

Other emerging technologies where we may have already worked or plan to work are: