Lupin Pharma and Dr Reddy's to Match Research Needs with Aspirations of Class 12 Pass Outs

Foot soldiers in the war against disease can come from unexpected places. In 2008, when the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched its 'open source drug discovery' movement, it invited stakeholders - scientists, researchers, industry representatives - to participate in formulating new drugs to combat ailments like TB. The most surprising contribution came from students, mostly graduates.

Today, of the 4,000-odd people registered with OSDD, a little over half are students, engaged in activities from advocacy to lab work. "It has been a big discovery for us," says OSDD project director Zakir Thomas. "We thought we [at OSDD] were dealing with sophisticated problems that required input from sophisticated sources, like established institutes," he says. "But the students really surprised us."

They did not just come from the metros. Having worked closely with scores of youngsters, Thomas has some advice for pharma companies. "If you are looking for new, innovative solutions, reach out to students, especially those in rural India," he says. "There's a huge talent base out there."