•Anandita Singh Mankotia: When the deal was announced, how did your peers in the industry respond?

We are focussed on our own goals instead of on what people are saying around us. As for my peers, some of them told me that Ranbaxy has created a very high benchmark for any future deals. Broadly speaking, the industry understands that this is the way to go forward to the next level. Whatever they may or may not admit to the media, this is what’s being said in boardrooms—that Ranbaxy has shown a futuristic vision.

•Soma Das: You have now got a huge sum of money. Where will you invest this money?

Over the last seven years, while a part of the family’s wealth was in Ranbaxy shares, we had also traded in healthcare and financial services. With the Ranbaxy part of the family’s business converted from shares into cash, the money will be added on to whatever other opportunities we have been pursuing. Every business can make money, but the question is, why are we in healthcare? This goes back 10 years: in the mid-nineties, we had a very clear sense that healthcare facilities in India were not up to the mark. My family’s goal was to redefine the space, bring in the best capabilities, doctors, and equipment and make world-class healthcare available to our people at affordable prices. If we can make the experience of receiving healthcare both non-threatening and affordable, which is what we have tried to do and hence reached the second spot within seven years, we will soon be in the top spot.

... contd.