In an era where sustainability is not just a choice but a necessity, the pharmaceutical industry faces unique challenges and opportunities. As a leader in contract development and manufacturing, Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals is setting benchmarks in integrating sustainability into its core operations. From pioneering water conservation through its “4R Approach” to developing room-temperature-stable dosage forms that reduce carbon footprints, Akums exemplifies the fusion of innovation and environmental stewardship.
In this exclusive interview with TheCSRUniverse, Ms. Arushi Jain, Director of Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, shares insights into the company’s sustainability vision, groundbreaking initiatives, and the alignment of its practices with global frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She also sheds light on how Akums fosters a culture of sustainability among its workforce, collaborates with suppliers to uphold eco-friendly practices, and innovates to meet environmental challenges without compromising on quality or efficacy.
Explore how Akums is redefining the pharmaceutical landscape by balancing profitability with sustainability and leading the way toward a greener future:
Q. Akums has integrated sustainability at the core of its operations. Can you share your vision for sustainability and how it aligns with Akums’ long-term business goals?
A. At Akums, our vision for sustainability focused on creating a balance between business growth, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. By embedding sustainable practices into our operations, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint, optimize resource efficiency, and foster innovation in green technologies. This aligns seamlessly with our long-term business goals of achieving operational excellence, reducing carbon footprints, ensuring regulatory compliance, and contributing to global sustainability benchmarks like the UN SDGs.
Q. Akums has made significant strides in water conservation and energy efficiency. Could you elaborate on the company’s “4R Approach for Water Management” and the measurable impacts of these initiatives?
A. Akums’ “4R Approach for Water Management” emphasizes Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recharge to optimize water conservation. We minimize water usage through efficient technologies, treat wastewater for reuse in non-critical applications, and employ advanced filtration systems to recycle processed water. Additionally, rainwater harvesting systems and groundwater recharge initiatives further strengthen our commitment to sustainability. These efforts have yielded measurable impacts, including an 8% reduction in freshwater consumption and significantly improved water reuse rates across our formulation facilities.
Q. Akums has been working on reducing primary packaging size by 10-20%. How has this initiative improved the environmental footprint of your products, and what challenges did you face in redesigning the packaging?
A. Reducing packaging size has significantly decreased material consumption and waste generation, leading to a lower carbon footprint during both production and transportation. The challenges included ensuring that smaller packaging, maintained product integrity, complied with regulatory standards, and met consumer expectations. Through rigorous R&D and stakeholder collaboration, we successfully overcome these challenges, setting an example for sustainable packaging in the pharmaceutical sector. This initiative not only ensures sustainability but also highlights Akums' commitment to innovation and eco-friendly practices.
Q. In terms of product development, Akums has developed room-temperature-stable dosage forms. How do these innovations contribute to reducing the carbon footprint and improving the sustainability of your supply chain?
A. Room-temperature-stable dosage forms eliminate the need for energy-intensive cold chain logistics, thereby significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These innovations also improve product accessibility in regions with limited refrigeration infrastructure, such as remote villages where Electricity availability remains a challenge.
This R&D achievement highlights a sustainable and inclusive approach to pharmaceutical distribution, ensuring that essential medicines reach underserved communities without compromising their quality or efficacy. By addressing environmental concerns and enhancing equitable access to healthcare, these advancements reinforce the commitment to sustainable and socially responsible innovation.
Q. As a leader who has successfully nurtured a dynamic and motivated workforce, how do you foster a culture of sustainability within Akums, especially among employees and teams across the organization?
A. Sustainability is one of our core values, fostering a culture of sustainability requires a focus on awareness, engagement, and recognition. To achieve this, we started internal communication through emailer followed by offline training and awareness with nominated employees, we also conduct regular training programs and organize sustainability-focused meetings to educate and involve employees.
Employees are actively encouraged to propose innovative ideas through open forums, promoting collaboration and making sustainability a shared responsibility across all organizational levels. Additionally, we have established dedicated task forces for energy, water, and waste management to drive targeted initiatives and ensure continuous improvement in these critical areas.
Q. How does Akums integrate CSR efforts with sustainability? Can you share specific examples of how your sustainability initiatives have benefited local communities or the environment at large?
A. The CSR program of Akums is based on three pillars: “Community Involvement”, “Environmental Protection Action” and “Economic Growth”. Our CSR initiatives are deeply aligned with sustainability, focusing on both environmental and social well-being. For example, through our afforestation programs and plantation drives, we have planted approximately 9,000 saplings with active employee participation. This effort not only enhances green cover but also contributes to biodiversity conservation by prioritizing native tree species.
In addition to environmental initiatives, we actively engage in community welfare through impactful programs. Our blood donation drives have contributed 1,653 units of blood, while over 200 employees have pledged their organs through organ donation drives, showcasing a deep commitment to saving lives. Through the Ganga Safai Abhiyaan, we actively support the conservation and cleanliness of the Ganga River. Skill development centers empower individuals with training for enhanced employability. Health camps during the Kawar Mela provide essential medical care, and our rainwater harvesting projects promote sustainable water conservation practices.
Through these diverse efforts, we are enhancing access to education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods, adopting a holistic approach to fostering environmental and social progress.
Q. As someone with vast experience in business development and risk management, how do you perceive the balance between profitability and sustainability? Could you share any personal reflections or experiences from your journey in fostering sustainability at Akums that have had a profound impact on you as a leader?
A. Profitability and sustainability are complementary drivers of long-term success. Implementing Sustainable practices often result in cost savings, risk mitigation, and enhanced brand reputation.
One of the most significant examples of this is our transition to biomass fuel for our boilers. Faced with the challenge of obtaining environmental clearance for conventional fuels such as furnace oil, LDO, and tire oil, we turned this obstacle into an opportunity by switching to the renewable biomass fuel. Today, we successfully operate biomass-fired boilers across five plant locations.
This transition not only aligned with our sustainability goals but also led to significant savings in fuel costs, demonstrating the value of innovative, eco-friendly solutions in overcoming challenges and driving operational efficiency.
Q. Akums has developed over 4,000 formulations across various dosage forms. How do you ensure these formulations align with sustainability goals without compromising efficacy and safety?
A. Our approach involves incorporating eco-friendly excipients, minimizing solvent use, and optimizing manufacturing processes to reduce resource consumption. These measures are complemented by stringent quality checks to ensure that sustainability efforts do not compromise the efficacy or safety of our products and hence alignment with SDG’s goal “Good Health and Well Being.
Q. Beyond replacing organic solvents with water-based alternatives, are there other sustainable innovations in Akums’ manufacturing processes that have contributed to reducing resource consumption?
A. Yes, we have implemented advanced process optimization techniques to enhance sustainability and resource efficiency. These efforts include the size reduction of tablets and capsules by optimizing excipient usage, reducing the size of primary packaging, and developing innovative tablet-in-tablet dosage forms. These measures not only minimize waste generation but also ensure the optimal utilization of non-renewable resources, contributing to a more sustainable manufacturing process.
Q. What role do your suppliers and logistics partners play in supporting Akums’ sustainability agenda? Do you have criteria to evaluate their eco-friendly practices?
A. We work closely with our suppliers and logistics partners to align their operations with our sustainability goals. Our comprehensive vendor screening process evaluates key criteria, including the use of sustainable materials, energy-efficient practices, and compliance with environmental standards. To drive continuous improvement, we conduct regular audits, hold collaborative meetings, and actively engage in sharing best practices. This proactive approach fosters a shared commitment to sustainability, ensuring that every link in our supply chain contributes to minimizing environmental impact while supporting our broader ecological objectives.
Q. Are there any sustainability benchmarks or frameworks, such as UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that guide Akums’ sustainability strategy?
A. Our sustainability strategy is closely aligned with and guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). We focus particularly on goals such as 1-No Poverty, 3-Good Health and Well-Being, 5-Gender Equality, 6-Clean Water and Sanitation, 12-Responsible Consumption and Production, and 13-Climate Action. These benchmarks provide a global framework to align our efforts with international standards and enable us to systematically monitor and measure our progress toward these critical objectives.
Q. Akums is already a market leader in Contract Development and Manufacturing. How do you think sustainability can become a key differentiator in the competitive landscape of the pharmaceutical industry? What are Akums’ long-term goals in terms of sustainability, and what new initiatives are you planning to launch in the coming years?
A. Sustainability is increasingly a key differentiator, with customers and partners valuing eco-conscious operations. Akums is committed to leading by example, aiming for carbon neutrality, a 50% emission reduction by 2030, zero-waste initiatives, and zero effluent discharge.
Upcoming initiatives include further advancements in Energy efficiency, energy transition to renewables, and innovative water conservation solutions, reinforcing our position as a responsible leader in the pharmaceutical industry while contributing to global environmental goals.
x
