Then, Now and After are words used very often in English to refer to time. Then is used as an adverb and an adjective. Now is used as an adverb. After is used as preposition, conjunction and an adverb. The common factor among all is an adverb. 

According to Cambridge Dictionary, as an adverb 'then' has been used to refer to the next or after that, in addition, as a result. Then, as an adjective means (at) that time (in the past or in the future). Now, as an adverb means at the present time, not in the past or future, immediately, any minute/moment/second/time now. After, as a preposition and conjunction means ‘later than’ and ‘next in time or place’. Here we are taking Then, Now and After to mean at that time, present time and next in time.

The editorial team of BioSpectrum, when looking for a theme for its 20th Anniversary Issue, has arrived at ‘Then, Now & After’ to express just how Time has changed the face of the life sciences industry in the last two decades and how it will emerge strongly amidst many challenges and issues, with the support of state and central governments, working together.

The editorial team identified the industry captains, leaders and experts in their domain such as  biopharmaceutical, vaccines, medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, investments, Bio-IT, pharmaceutical, healthcare, contract research, service and solution providers, regulators, who have been part of the successful Journey of BioSpectrum and approached to share their views on the theme ‘Then, Now & After’.

To commemorate the occasion of completing 20 years, we are publishing the viewpoints of industry luminaries encapsulating how their fields have changed over the two decades and what the near future holds, with the promise to deliver more in the coming years.

KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW, Executive Chairperson, Biocon & Biocon Biologics

DR KRISHNA ELLA, Scientist, Serial Entrepreneur and Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech

RAGHAVENDRA GOUD VAGGU, General Manager, Cytiva South Asia

SAMIR MEHTA President, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) and Chairman, Torrent Group

KV SUBRAMANIAM, President, Reliance Life Sciences

GARGI JAIN, IAS, Mission Director, Gujarat State Bio Technology Mission (GSBTM) & Dy Secretary (BT), Government of Gujarat for Department of Science & Technology (DST); and DR A N BHADALKAR, Joint Director (BD), GSBTM and Director, Savli Technology & Business Incubator (STBI) – both of DST, Government of Gujarat

DEEPANWITA CHATTOPADHYAY, Chairman & CEO, IKP Knowledge Park

SATYA DASH, Board Member, Venture Center, and DR VIJAY CHANDRU, Executive Advisor, ARTPark, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and adjunct Professor, IISc and BITS Pilani

AMIT CHOPRA, Managing Director, India and South Asia, Thermo Fisher Scientific

T ANIL KUMAR, President, Waters India

DR SURESH THAKUR, President, IVD, India, Trivitron Healthcare

HASMUKH RAWAL, Managing Director, Mylab Discovery Solutions

RAJIV NATH, Forum Coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD)

SURESH VAZIRANI, Founder Chairman, Transasia-Erba International Group of Companies

NITIN DESHMUKH, Sr Advisor, Kotak Investment Advisors

SAMEER AGARWAL, Group CFO, Manipal Hospitals

AMIT MOOKIM, Managing Director, IQVIA South Asia

DR K HARIPRASAD, President, Apollo Hospitals

ARNAB BASUMALLIK, Co-Chair MTaI Policy Research Wing and Director- Government Affairs and Market Access, Edwards Lifesciences India

YOSHIYUKI FUJINO, Managing Director, Shimadzu Analytical India