Revolutionising the Pharma Industry: How Pharmaceutical Equipment Manufacturers are Leading the Way

Pharma Manufacturing Machines

In our rapidly warming world, the geographical and seasonal ranges of many diseases are increasing, as is the global burden of non-communicable diseases. As the overall disease burden in different countries grows or takes on new patterns, the demands for better healthcare access are increasing around the world, and consequently, the demand for pharmaceutical products is also witnessing a steady rise. A gap that you, as a pharma or biopharma company, have the opportunity to eliminate.

To support you, pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers need to rapidly scale up and streamline production to meet this ever growing demand. While the process of bringing pharmaceutical interventions to the market begins with R&D, and includes raw material acquisition as well as marketing and distribution, the part of the process where you can make the greatest difference is in your production lines – where your pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers can help you radically improve the cost, speed and reliability with which you deliver life changing, often life saving, treatments to patients.

In the past several years, pharma manufacturing has witnessed a transformation, in terms of technology, equipment, process and automation.Let’s see how the leading pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers, in India and the world, are paving a fresh path to making vaccines and drugs – be they oral solid dosages, parenterals, ophthalmic solutions, plasma proteins, enzymes, biosimilars or nutraceuticals.

How are pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers helping transform the industry?

Customisation

As with most industries, even in pharma, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the myriad complexities and challenges that will come your way. Depending on the product you want to manufacture and the scale at which you want your facility to operate, you would ideally like your pharmaceutical equipment manufacturer to personalise solutions for you.

For instance, if it is injectables, or any other parenterals or sterile formulations that you want to produce, you would need your pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers to provide you with both manufacturing and holding vessels. Based on your end product, the layout of your facility, and the specific environmental conditions of your SVP or LVP, there are a large number of customisations that can be integrated into the system.

With skid systems that are either movable or fixed, your pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers can give you the mobility that you need, providing modular systems that fit the specific layout of your manufacturing facility. With integrations for CIP and SIP systems, your pharma equipment manufacturer can help you cut down maintenance time significantly. Such integrations also eliminate the labour-intensive tasks of dismantling and reassembling equipment repeatedly; for you, this means that your equipment can run longer hours, tremendously improving the productivity of your plant.

Similarly, heat exchangers, process piping, bioreactors and fermenters can all be customised to enhance the efficiency of your production processes.

Automation

Easily the most critical way in which pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers have revolutionised the pharmaceutical industry, process automation is key to success. In today’s world, no matter which industry you are in, you just cannot do without automation systems, especially when the products you manufacture are so critical to the well-being of society. Automation systems play the pivotal role of connecting, sequencing and streamlining your process systems seamlessly. They ensure a harmony between different elements of the process which is near impossible to replicate with manual systems. The speed, efficiency and reliability of automated systems make themselves evident in the larger number of hours your equipment can remain operational, the reduction of errors, fewer contamination risks, enhanced repeatability, and long-term cost-savings.

When it comes to dealing with biopharma products or toxic chemicals, or cleaning your process vessels and equipment, having people manually carry out these processes comes with its fair share of risks, not just for the product, but also for the health and safety of your workforce. Fortunately, automation can drastically reduce risks from exposure to hazardous materials. So your pharma equipment manufacturers can improve not just the production capacity of your plant, but also the safety and well-being of your people.

Risk-based validation

Quality assurance is an integral part of the manufacturing process, which means that validation testing is an absolute necessity. It is the only way for your pharma equipment manufacturers to make sure that the equipment that they provide you with can consistently produce high quality products which perfectly meet your requirements as a drug or vaccine producer.

For a long time, process validation was largely a one-size-fits-all process. Pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers relied heavily on strictly worded quality and regulatory standards which did not necessarily suit the highly specific processes involved in different production lines. But now, as a consequence of changes in regulation, pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers prioritise risk assessment and management instead of relying too much on general recommendations.

This shift towards more scientifically sound justifications for process validation gives pharma equipment manufacturers the capacity to test and validate their equipment using a tailored approach specific to the risks associated with the process in question. Pharma equipment manufacturers like TSA use risk assessment as the key input to their validation processes. Since their qualification activities are focused on the aspects of the process which bear a direct impact on the quality of the final product, onsite changes are minimal, highly streamlining the activities of installation and operation.

Maintenance and life cycle support

Your relationship with your pharma equipment manufacturers is hardly over after installation. In fact, installation is just the beginning of a long and fruitful journey which involves regular upkeep to make sure your equipment is in top-notch shape. And who is responsible for this regular maintenance? Your pharma equipment manufacturers.

Process vessel and equipment maintenance should be a preemptive process rather than a reactive one. You can’t afford to let potential glitches to your heat exchanger, process piping or any other machinery hold up your entire production line. Not to mention the large unanticipated costs that are associated with such last minute repairs. This is where having an AMC, or an Annual Maintenance Contract, with your pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers helps.

Regular maintenance is integral to prolonging the life and quality of the equipment that sustains the manufacture of all your products. And state-of-the-art equipment needs high quality attention to match. Which is why you should stick with pharma equipment manufacturers like TSA who promise support through the entire life cycle of your project, right from the design process all the way through installation and maintenance. AMCs come with the benefits of fewer system breakdowns, lower costs in the long term, constant support, and a long life for the equipment you have invested so much in.

Ultimately, process equipment manufacturers are critical not just to your specific purposes as a client, but also to the pharma and biopharma industries at large. The best pharma equipment manufacturers set high standards for their competitors and for other industries as well. So when you make the critical decision of choosing an equipment partner, make sure you choose well. Make sure you choose one who will lead you into the future of the pharmaceutical industry.


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Hetal Panchal is the Vice President in Operations department of TSA Process Equipments (A Thermax Group Company) since 1 s t October 2012.

Holding a qualification in Production Engineering and 28 years of industry experience, he specializes in designing advanced equipment for the pharmaceutical sector. His expertise lies in optimizing production lines, improving efficiency, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
Focused on innovation, he has developed systems that enhances productivity, minimizes downtime, and maintains product quality. Staying current with technological trends, they contribute to ongoing improvements in the industry.
His extensive experience has helped identify opportunities for innovation, streamlining operations and reducing costs. Through his specialized knowledge, more efficient manufacturing processes and higher-quality outputs in pharmaceutical production are delivered.

B.C. Mahesh is the Chairperson of TSA Process Equipment Pvt. Ltd. since Feb 2024.

B.C. Mahesh became a member of the Executive Council in August 2013. He is responsible for the Industrial Product Business (IPB), which consists of Process Heating, Absorption Cooling & Heating Solutions, Water and Waste Solutions, Air Pollution Control, Steam Engineering, Channel Business Group, International Business Group, and Enterprise Sales businesses.
As part of IPB, he also oversees the following wholly-owned subsidiaries
of Thermax – Danstoker, PT Thermax International Indonesia and Rifox.Mahesh joined Thermax as a graduate trainee in 1988 and handled the Materials function for various businesses, including global sourcing, till 1996.
He moved to the Power division(P&ES) and grew to the position of Sales Head and subsequently Head of Projects. He took over as the Head of the SBU for Medium Power Plants in 2009 and finally as Head of Power business in 2012.
Mahesh has worked with Thermax for over 30 years in many functions such as manufacturing, supply chain, sales and marketing, and project management, and has played a significant role in the strategy, expansion and diversification of the Power business.Mahesh completed his Mechanical Engineering from the Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur in 1988.

Vishal Mehra is the Director of TSA Process Equipment Pvt. Ltd. since Feb 2024.

Mr. Vishal Mehra is currently serving as the Strategic Business Unit Head for Water & Waste Solutions (WWS) at Thermax Limited. Additionally, he holds a directorial position at TSA Process Equipment, which is known for its expertise in ultra-pure and high-purity water technologies and was recently acquired by Thermax.With over 22 years of experience in the industry, Mr. Mehra’s professional focus includes water management solutions, advanced technology development, and business strategy.
His areas of interest encompass cutting-edge technology, growth strategies, organizational effectiveness, and development.
Mr. Mehra is well qualified in business management and strategy transformation, having completed the Senior Executive Program in Business Management and Strategy Transformation from London Business School. This advanced education supports his extensive experience and expertise in the field.

Sandeep Deshpande has been the Director of TSA Process Equipments Pvt. Ltd. since February 2024.

Currently, he serves as the Head of Corporate Finance and the Industrial Product Group at Thermax Limited. With over 21 years of experience in finance, he has developed expertise in financial consolidation, planning, reporting, costing, accounting, controlling and financial modeling.
Currently, he serves as the Head of Corporate Finance and the Industrial Product Group at Thermax Limited. With over 21 years of experience in finance, he has developed expertise in financial consolidation, planning, reporting, costing, accounting, controlling and financial modeling.
Sandeep is a qualified Cost Accountant Company Secretary, and holds a diploma in IFRS and an advanced diploma in financial management from XLRI. He has extensive experience in financial operations, including financial planning, MIS, budgeting, controlling, audits, and cash flow management. His expertise also spans financial reporting, consolidation, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, business restructuring, and implementing Internal Financial Control (IFC) and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). Additionally, Sandeep has hands-on experience with Oracle systems, automation, digitization, and business analytics. He is passionate about driving good governance, improving financial reporting, and leveraging automation and digitization to enhance business analytics.

Rajiv Parikh is the COO of TSA Process Equipments (A Thermax Group Company) since April 2024.

Rajiv is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors, specializing in high-purity and process vessels. He played a key role in establishing TSA Process Equipments Pvt. Ltd., driving its growth and success. His deep technical expertise, combined with a strong understanding of client needs, has enabled him to deliver innovative solutions to complex industry challenges.

Throughout his career, Rajiv has excelled in leadership and sales, consistently launching cutting-edge products that have positively impacted the market. His ability to build lasting client relationships and offer tailored solutions has earned him a reputation as a trusted industry leader.

With a background in Mechanical Engineering, Rajiv blends technical proficiency with strategic vision. His contributions have shaped industry standards and positioned him as a key influencer in the pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors.

Apurva Shah is the CEO of TSA Process Equipments (A Thermax Group Company) since April 2024.

With a career spanning over 24 years, Apurva is the visionary CEO of TSA Process Equipments, where he has led the company to new heights in the High Purity & process equipment industry. A graduate in Mechanical Engineering from Mumbai University, followed by an MBA in Business Management from NMIMS, He brings a strong technical foundation combined with a sharp strategic mindset.

His expertise lies in formulating and executing strategies that drive growth and operational efficiency. Over the years, he has cultivated a deep understanding of market dynamics, positioning TSA Process Equipments for continued success in a competitive landscape.

Outside of his professional pursuits. He is an avid reader, with a particular interest in fiction novels, which fuel his creativity and broaden his perspective.