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8 of December, 2001 at the restaurant of the hotel "Lybid" solemn celebration of the 8 anniversary of the presence of the company "Rainbow" in the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market was held. The figure is not round just only on the face of it. As the speakers noted in fun, every year of work in the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine could be compare to 2, 3 or , for example, to 6,25 to get the number 50 years. There were present the ambassador of India in Ukraine Vidya Bushan Soni, the heads of representation of Indian and other foreign companies-manufacturers, friends-competitors, partners, companions and, certainly, employees of company "Rainbow".


From left to right: the director of the company "Rainbow" Saurabh Shasi Bhushan, ambassador of India in Ukraine Vidya Bushan Soni, the manager of company "Rainbow" Sergey Kovalenko are on the celebration of 8 anniversary of the company.


Vidya Bushan Soni in conversation with the reporter of "Weekly DRUGSTORE" has noted, that at present pharmaceutical industry of India is developed quick rate and it is opened a good prospects before it. Besides, the role has increased, which at present plays Indian pharmaceutical industry not only in India, but in the whole world. India and Ukraine are connected with knot of partnership for a long time Vidya Bushan Soni has noted, and pharmacy is an area, in which the interests of two our countries are adjoin. The Ukrainian economy experiences a difficult stage of the development in connection with those changes, which witnesses all of us are. Fortunately, exactly 2001 became year of the big progress for the Ukrainian economy. However the process of transformations has also the negative sides. For example, levels of moderate means of the population are compelled to buy only those medicines which are accessible to them. And those medicines which they can not presume to themselves, in opinion of mister ambassador, India delivers. The low prices for these preparations explain that more than 1 billion people live in India now and that in the country a labor is cheap. However, in opinion of Bushan Soni, the quality of these medical products are at a level of the world standards. He has noted, that company "Rainbow" carries out very important mission, importing such medical products and giving to the citizens of Ukraine an opportunity to get them under the prices acceptable to them. He has reminded, that this year company "Rainbow" has won the large tender on delivery of medical products for treatment of a tuberculosis. As mister ambassador considers, the company could achieve it not only because of the profit, but because of the big wishing to offer people of Ukraine medical products under reasonable prices. Naturally, the purpose of any business - reception of the profit, but only to the people borrowed in pharmaceutical business, is peculiar display of humanity. Vidya Bushan Soni especially has noted, that in company "Rainbow" people which do not forget about it work in.


More in detail about prospects of company "Rainbow", its place in Ukraine market of medical products the reporter of "Weekly DRUGSTORE" has asked to tell about, to the manager of the company "Rainbow" of Sergey Kovalenko.

  • How much is the support of embassy of India in Ukraine important and appreciable for your company?

  • Certainly, we appreciate moral support, and the warm wards told by mister ambassador on celebrating of the 8 anniversary of the company. But we feel also other support on the part of diplomatic corps. On reception in honor of arrival of Minister of Foreign Affairs of India in Ukraine the idea that else is far from being all large Indian manufacturers of medical products has sounded are submitted in the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market. Certainly, if to compare the sizes of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market with Indian comparison will be obvious for the benefit of the last. As the Indian companies are perfectly informed both on low purchasing capacity of our population, and that after crisis of 1998 many foreign companies have incurred heavy losses owing to non-payments of distributors. The Indian diplomatic corps in Ukraine is going to promote that all large Indian companies were submitted in the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market.
    In particular, we started to cooperate with large Indian company "Panacea Biotec" and within the framework of this cooperation we advance on the Ukrainian market a new preparation, NIMULID. And we have registered NIMULID (nimesulid) both in the form of tablets, and in the form of gel. For today it is a unique preparation in Ukraine nimesulid in the form of gel. Further we plan to introduce for the Ukrainian market preparations nimesulid in the suspensions form intended for application in pediatrics, and in the form of a solution for injections, that is all medicinal forms of nimesulid which succeeds preparations diclofenac.

  • There were representatives of medical departments of the Ukrainian power structures on solemn evening. Does it mean, that company "Rainbow" prefers to work with the organizations which use the budgetary financial streams which have not been connected to Ministry of Health of Ukraine?

  • We really successfully work, both with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and with the Ministry of Emergency Measures, and with establishments penal system, with customs service. However it is not necessary to forget that company "Rainbow" has won the tender of Ministry of Health of Ukraine on delivery of antituberculous preparations. It testifies to an optimum parity of the prices and quality of the preparations delivered by the company on the Ukrainian market and that our clients who are financed due to the budget, are able to count money. But we have a lot of other clients: drugstores of all patterns of ownership, large and small wholesale distributor companies.

  • How does your company build it work in the regions?

  • Company "Rainbow" has representations in all the regional centers of Ukraine. Now we do not have regional warehouse as they were abolished after crisis of 1998. But the company again plans to open warehouses in the largest Ukrainian regions. We count, that the future of the company is connected to development of an external infrastructure.

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  • Does the company aspire to become the large national distributor, in other words?

  • Yes, this is one of the direction in which over company develops.

  • And what do you mean as a term "the large national distributor"?

  • Unequivocal interpretation of the term is not present. Perhaps, everyone understands it in own way. In opinion of some companies, to pretend to a rank of the large national distributor, it is necessary to execute a number of conditions. We consider, that any parameter can be estimated differently. I think, we shall make a serious competition to our colleagues, and as us will name is not so important. Speaking about national distributors, we mean conducting companies, that is define the face of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market. These are the companies with which the majority of partners both in the center and in regions cooperates. The companies which refer itself to national, and those are 5 - 10, in due course will define really the face of the market. If to estimate the situation from this point of view "Rainbow" in any measure defines the face of the market too, especial if to take into account, that a number of preparations acts on the market due to efforts of company "Rainbow". Besides in our understanding, the national distributor is the company which has an opportunity to deliver the goods to a maximum quantity of ultimate consumer, that is - to drugstores. The more at distributor companies of clients among representatives of a retail network, the stronger positions it occupies in the market the less it subjects to the influence of an average link, that is small wholesale distributor companies which it is enough frequently practically have no own turnaround means and work "on very small profitableness". In my opinion, they negatively influence on the situation in the market as they compel to realize dumping of large distributors. It results to even the large companies can not invest means in development of an own infrastructure whereas, unfortunately, large distributor companies are compelled to finance drugstores. To receive the goods from the manufacturer at a discount, large distributors. To receive the goods from the manufacturer at a discount, large distributors are compelled to make an advanced payment. At the same time practically all large distributors give commodity credits to their buyers. Drugstores and small wholesale distributors are spoilt with attention of large distributors, but as it seems to me, it can not proceed eternally. In my opinion, the one more attribute of the national distributor is the quantity of preparations which it offers. In an ideal the distributor should offer all spectrum of medical products which constantly are required to drugstores. For today it is 1500 - 2500 names.

  • How many people does it work in your company and how quickly can you deliver the goods in regions?

  • In the staff of the company "Rainbow" is totaled more than 100 people, and our transport service allows to work by a principal "today for today" within the limits of Kiev and region and, as a rule, by a principle "today for tomorrow" at servicing in regions. Coming back to conversation on national distributors, I want to note, that neither the quantity of working people in the company, nor the quantity of automobiles are not determining parameters. Efficiency of use of engineering, labor productivity essentially can differ in the different companies.

  • The company "Rainbow" continues to develop dynamically. Could you tell about the nearest plans?

  • In the beginning of 2001 the place for construction of new office of the company, warehouse which would allow to organize work according to principals GPD already was chosen. It was supported to involve the significant foreign capital under guarantees of company "Rainbow", however this project meanwhile is not realized in connection with that, from our point of view, the volume of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market will not allow to pay back the means enclosed in construction in short term. Other our project is to organize own manufacture of medical products. When this project will be carried out, meanwhile to speak prematurely. Certainly, we shall start with simple medicinal forms: capsules, tablets then to proceed to manufacture of more difficult forms.

  • According to you, the size of the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine does not allow to pay back the investment quickly. Could tell about it more in detail?

  • The market has strongly changed for past years. If some years ago that to live fine it was enough to have some names in the price-list and the right on their exclusive distribution now it is impossible. The market was very strongly affected with the crisis of 1998. For past time after crisis a number of the large companies have limited the presence in the market, the new have appeared, dynamically developing, with the new, pragmatic approach to business. Powerful regional distributor structures are developed. Especially brightly this process is expressed in the east regions of Ukraine: Donetsk, Lugansk. It is necessary to tell , that now the situation in pharmaceutical market promptly changes: during last months we feel, that the competition has considerably amplified. But the company "Rainbow" always reacted to all requirements of the market. It was necessary to increase assortment - the department of purchases was created to systematize work of selling - the sales department was allocated, there was a necessity to automate productions - it is created service of technical maintenance, when it became clear, that without knowledge of the market we wander in darkness - the department of marketing has appeared. I am sure, as on a call of this day the worthy answer will be found.
    The Ukrainian pharmaceutical market is rather insignificant. But it has only to its volume to exceed, say, 1 billion US dollars as the international companies with the big capital on the spot will appear. It, by the way, has already taken place in Poland, where the German capital has strongly located in sphere of distributions. It is possible, that this capital from Poland or directly from Germany will come to us. I will not began to exclude and an opportunity of that in Ukraine pharmaceutical market will appear Russian distributor companies.

  • The personnel is one of the main values of any company. I am sure, that you want to tell some words about people that work in "Rainbow".

  • I would like to bring in specification. We are accepted to speak not about the personnel, but about the collective. We aspire to create the collective of adherents, and the professionals dividing both accepting principals and rules of company "Rainbow" are necessary for this purpose. Now more than 100 people work in the company. It is well prepared command of professionals incorporated by a common purpose. By the way, one of distinctive features of our collective is its multinationality: in the company alongside with Ukrainian, citizens of India work. Today, in conditions of rigid competitive struggle when the price of offered preparations is not more important, but the quality of serving, for successful business dealing creative and harmonious work of collective is especially important, therefore it is difficult to overestimate knowledge and experience of all employees of our company.

Taras Mahrinsky


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