1. Cipla was incorporated in 1935, in the name of Chemical Industrial and
P h a r m a c e u t i c a l Laboratories. The name was changed to the acronym ‘Cipla’ in
1984. Over the last 6 decadesC i p l a h a s s e t u p p l a n t s a t f i v e l o c a t i o n s ,
mainly concentrated in Maharashtra. The Hamied brothers, sons of the
founder, late Dr K A Hamied, manage Cipla. Dr Y K Hamied, with
a doctorate in Organic Chemistry from Cambridge, is the Chairman and
Managing Director. Hehimself heads the research division, which has around 200
people. His brother, M K Hamied,l o o k s a f t e r m a r k e t i n g . C i p l a h a s f o u r
plants located at Patalaganga, Kurkumbh, Mumbai
inM a h a r a s h t r a a n d o n e a t B a n g a l o r e i n K a r n a t a k a . A l l p l a n t s m a
k e b u l k d r u g s a s w e l l a s formulations and have secured FDA (USA)/ MCA (UK)
for most of its plants.C i p l a h a s c r o s s e d t h e U S D 1 b i l l i o n m a r k i n t e r m s o f
t u r n o v e r f o r t h e ye a r 2 0 0 7 - 0 8 . W h i l e d o m e s t i c s a l e s g r e w b y m o r e t h a n
1 3 % , e x p o r t s a l e s p o s t e d a g r o w t h o f a b o u t 2 3 % f o r t h e quarter. Total
sales for the year 2007-08 has increased by 16% which has been in line with
theestimates.
Background
ipla was officially opened on September 22, 1937 when the first
products were ready for the market. The Sunday Standard wrote:
"The birth of Cipla which was launched into thew o r l d b y D r .
K.A. Hamied will be a red letter day in the annals of
B o m b a y I n d u s t r i e s . The first city in India can now boast of a
concern, which will supersede all existing firms i n t h e
magnitude of its operations. India has lagged behind in
t h e m a r c h o f s c i e n c e b u t she is now awakening from her
lethargy. The new company has mapped out an
ambitious programme and with intelligent direction and skillful
production bids fair to establish agreat reputation in the East. "
Business
Cipla occupies the third position in the domestic formulations market and
commands a marketshare of 4.74 per cent. Cipla currently markets over 350 products and
is the market leader in thegeneric segment consisting of more than 100 products. The
company has strong presence in anti-asthmatic, antibiotics, cardiovascular, anti-AIDS and
anticancer areas. Cipla was the first one toenter into the competitive generics business
and has occupied the leadership position in thissegment.Cipla is the market leader in
anti asthmatic inhaler segment with over 70 per cent market share.This segment is
growing rapidly mainly due to increase in pollution leading to a spurt in
thenumber of asthma cases in patients. One of its major products, Asthalin inhaler has annual
salesof more than Rs 30 crore. The company offers full range of inhalers, rotahalers and
spacers thathave gained excellent acceptance among the asthma patients. The company has
introduced CFC-free, environment-friendly Budecort inhalers for the first time in India. The
CFC- free productshave a huge export potential .The inhaler therapy is preferred to tablets
since the dose required isabout 1/ 10 of the oral dose. Moreover, the drug directly goes to the
lung and gives instantaneousrelief to the patient. Cipla will be maintaining a
leadership position due to the entire range of inhalers and with the advantage of
economies of scale.Cipla has presence in niche segments such as cardiovascular,
anti-AIDS, and anticancer. Thec o m p a n y h a s s e v e r a l p r o d u c t s i n e a c h o f
t h e s e s e g m e n t s t h a t w i l l h e l p i t m a i n t a i n a s t e a d y growth in the long run.
Cipla is building a strong presence in the anti -AIDS segment and isoffering the

2. entire range of products. The company has reduced the prices of anti-AIDS drug fivetimes in
the domestic market through technological advancements. The company's recent offer