Good Afternoon everyone

First let me introduce myself. My name is Muhammed Majeed, born and raised in Kerala.

I was fortunate enough to complete my degree in pharmacy from Kerala and go to United States in 1975. With the guidance of my mother and with the blessings of my teachers, I was able to complete my post graduate degrees, M.S. and PhD, in the United States . I was able to do this while holding responsible research positions with Pharma majors like Pfizer, Carter Wallace and Paco group of companies.

In 1988, I had decided to try my luck in business. I started SABINSA Corporation in the United States . By 1990, I started focusing on marketing products of Indian origin. In the year 1991, I set up a research and development facility at Singasandra in Bangalore . The core domain of our R&D has always been to integrate the rich traditional knowledge in Ayurveda with that of the latest scientific research and manufacturing methodology.

Today , I am before you to talk about Coleus cultivation. I am sure my people will provide a good idea about this medicinal plant. From my side, I want to tell you the following:

This is not one of the herbs from Ayurveda, though Ayurveda has given us a treasure chest of herbs. It was researched by Hoechst and CDRI Lucknow about 25 years back and subsequently abandoned. In the mid 1990's research done at Sami and Sabinsa uncovered a property of the active natural material which reduced the fat content in the body. This discovery resulted in a successful patent for Sabinsa / Sami group.

But the raw material for this product was not available. It was then Sami Labs started experimenting cultivation in various parts of the country and actively co-operated with the agricultural universities. Over a period of time the required agro-technology and planting material was developed. We researched on upgrading the cultivation practices and developing superior variety of Coleus forskohlii. In the year 1999, in association with MGP Herbals Care Pvt Ltd we started cultivation of this crop in Salem .

We started off cultivating Coleus with handful of farmers several years back. Today we have more than 5000 farmers who have joined our family. With the farmers support and above all the support extended by financial institutions like – State Bank of India, Exim Bank, and the UTI Bank we could evolve a Sami Model of Cultivation which is unique to Sami Labs alone.

The Sami Model of Cultivations is an example of the successful participation and association of farmers, our research laboratories and finally the international market. I repeat, it is the successful association of farmers, research labs and the international market.

The other dimension evolved with our model of cultivation is that we have opened the world market to our farmers. Since we buy the products directly from the farmers, the farmers are benefited. With our agreement with the farmers, they will produce the crop for us and we will buy their entire produce. In other words, we have entered into a strong buy-back agreement with the farmers and the farmers are assured of the best price for their crop. Additionally, we support the farmers by supplying them with the planting material, facilitate loan to them and assure insurance protection to their crops.

Sami Labs has also in its pipeline 2 to 3 other new crops which have the potential of becoming as big as Coleus . Contract farming will not be confined to Coleus but will also be extended to other medicinal plants. Therefore the association of Sami Labs with the farmers of India is here to stay.

Besides, it gives me great joy to announce that for this financial year we will be expanding the Coleus cultivation to 30,000 acres of land. In this expansion program we will cover regions in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh.

As I said earlier, we could evolve this model after overcoming various hurdles. After several years, the farmers of Salem and Tamil Nadu found an ally in Sami Labs. For the success of this product, there are several things we need to do

1 – Continue the research on this product.

2- Discourage the people who come to you at the time of harvest with better offers. This is transient and violates the foundation of trust between our groups.

3-Trading groups who sells in international markets by through illegal means and violate our patent. By doing so, they destroy the opportunity of one of our natural products to achieve a better return which in turn would help the farming community.

I would conclude by saying that SamiLabs has created a niche for itself by entering into a tie up with our farming community. Secondly we stand apart through our innovative research where we have merged our traditional knowledge with modern science. As a result of our innovation we have been granted 19 US and 5 International patents. I am also proud to state that we are the recipients of several national and international awards, including the National Award for R&D in 2002 in India and the prestigious Thomas Alva Edison Patent award for 2004 in the state of New Jersey , United States .

Where we could garner the trust and confidence of the farmers in Tamil Nadu by assuring them a constant and steady business support, I am confident and optimistic that the farming community in Maharashtra will benefit through Sami labs association and we in turn through you.

JAI HIND

 

 

Today when I stand in front of you all, I am reminded of the days when we had started this coleus cultivation in Salem with a handful of people. Today, I feel very proud that more than 5000 farmers have joined our family.

Sami Labs and its associated company in the US discovered that the active chemical in coleus broke down the fat in the body without affecting other tissues. This means its an ideal product for weight management. Subsequently, we got a US patent for this discovery and the demand for this product increased.

But the raw material for this product was not available. It was then Sami Labs started experimenting cultivation in various parts of the country and actively co-operated with the agricultural universities. Over a period of time the required agro-technology and planting material was developed. We researched on upgrading the cultivation practices and developing superior variety of Coleus forskohlii . Shri Palanivel and MGP group has been instrumental in developing this.

Our hard work has born fruit. Salem was the terrain where we explored the prospects of involving the farmers in cultivating Coleus for us. Though we encountered a few difficulties in the beginning, those were tips for bettering or evolving better agricultural practices. Today farmers in India are coming forward to cultivate coleus and other herbs for us. Whereas in the international market ForsLean ®, our brand for Coleus forskohlii extract is the most accepted supplement for weight management.

Dear friends, I can say with full confidence and pride that the Sami Model of Coleus Cultivation carried in association with MGP and Palanivel has evolved over a period of relentless effort into a model unique to Sami Labs alone. This is an example of the successful participation and association of farmers, our research laboratories and finally the international market. I repeat , it is the successful association of farmers, research labs and the international market.

Other dimension evolved with our model of cultivation is that we have opened the world market to our farmers. Since we buy the products directly from the farmers, the farmers are benefited. But with our agreement with our farmers, they will produce the crop for us and we will buy their entire produce. In other words, we have entered into a strong buy-back agreement with the farmers and the farmers are assured of the best price for their crop. Additionally, we support the farmers by supplying them with the planting material, facilitate loan for them and assure insurance protection to their crops.

Let me take this opportunity to highlight the fact that our success, that is yours and ours is a very valuable one. We must not do anything contrary to our commitment to disrupt it.

In business, short term gains are transient. In an agriculture based business long term trust and interdependence is the core of business. As I trust that all of you will work with us, let me reassure you that Sami Labs and Palanivel will work with you to protect your interests also.

The best of ideas will not come to fruition unless there are committed people. Sami Labs had a commitment and a desire. Palanivel made it a reality through his sheer commitment to me, the cause and the farmers of Tamil Nadu . Palanivel , words cannot describe our profound appreciation of you. The people you assembled to assist you are a class apart and very devoted.

State Bank of India is a source of strength in our efforts. Their support for the farmers made this day possible. On behalf of all of you, I thank them. Special mention to UTI Bank, who came forward with a credit line of Rs.10 crores to assist the farmers at an extremely reasonable rate. United India Assurance has also played a major role in assisting the farmers through crop protection insurance. My deep appreciation for their efforts and thank you all.

Finally, the day belongs to the farmers of Tamil Nadu , who along with Palanivel has written the first chapter in the organized cultivation of medicinal plants in India .

Salem , my dear friends is just not the place to cultivate Coleus, but over the years I have realized it is also a place which has given birth to a very sincere and committed working community, and a model for India for medicinal plants cultivation.

It is because of the visionary effort put forward by you , Shri Palanivel , that Sami Labs is going to extend the herbal cultivation practice to other parts of India as well. Shortly we will be implementing our cultivation practices in Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh , Kerala , Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and other parts of Tamil Nadu as well.

I am glad to announce the formation of a fund for the Coleus farmers in Tamil Nadu . This will be known as the Sami -Farmer's Fund. This fund is exclusively for you, your family, your children and your parents. Hereby, I announce that I have set apart Rs 10 lakh to this fund.

I would conclude by saying that Sami Labs has created a niche for itself by entering into a tie up with our farming community. Secondly we stand apart through our innovative research where we have merged our traditional knowledge with modern science. As a result of our innovation we have been granted 19 US and 5 International patents. I am also proud to state that we are the recipients of several national and international awards, including the National Award for R&D in 2002 in India and the prestigious Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for 2004 in the state of New Jersey , United States .

It is a journey we have started together. Let us continue to be partners hereafter also.

Vanakam …. Nanri .

JAI HIND

Delivered on June 18, 2005 by Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D

Good Evening Everyone,

It was very nice of Dr. Althaf to ask me to talk about the advances in Medicine. To talk about this vast area in a few minutes, that too, just before the cultural programme is a difficult task. I will make an effort to highlight a few of the major advances in the area of medicine. I must admit I left out a large portion of improvement made in the surgical areas and equipment including laser based equipment.

Up until 1950’s it was the time of herbal medicine. These were traditional systems used by various civilizations across the globe. This could be called the Herbal Era of medicine.

The early 1950’s saw the advent of synthetic medicines and rational thinking as we know about the disease states. Advances made in chemistry and pharmacology greatly advanced the treatment of various diseases, but not all. However, the basic drawback was that we were basically treating the symptoms of the disease with out a greater understanding of the underlying causes.

The period 1900 – 2000 could be aptly called the Pharmaceutical Era.

During the pharmaceutical era itself, substantial progress has been happening in an entirely different area in Man’s quest for better understanding of himself.

In 1953, the basic DNA structure and concept were developed followed by a rudimentary understanding of the genetic code also evolved around 1968.

In 1973, biotechnology was defined and a new branch of science taking into account various scientific discipline was born.

In 1978, recombinant insulin was made.

In 1980, oil eating microbes were patented by Dr. Chakraborthy, a revolutionary step, which provided substantial impetus to subsequent research work in biotechnology.

Today, we are in the genomic era. The human genome project began in 1990 and completed the targeted work by 2003, much before the deadline assigned.

The progress made in the last 20 years was amazing if one looks at it now. In short, the advances made in the last 10 – 15 years is equal or even surpasses the advances made in the last 100 years.

A number of medical scientific disciplines evolved in the last 20 years. Just a brief review of these disciplines itself would indicate the directions we are going.

Pharmacogenomics: It is the observational process of pharmacology with the analytical strengths of genomics. In simple language, pharmacogenomics decipher how one’s genetic inheritance affects the body’s response to drugs.

The promise of pharmacogenomics and its practical extension of personalized medicine will certainly lead to the early development of precision pharmaceuticals, that is, drugs and dosages tailored to a person’s genetic composition.

Pharmacogenomics could also help profile a person’s risk of developing a particular disease.

Structural pharmacogenomics: Structural pharmacogenomics is emerging as a means of rational drug design to overcome the resistance of organisms to anti-infectives.

The 20th Century saw great advances in the treatment of infections. Since the introduction of penicillin in 1943, a number of new classes of antibacterial drugs and several safe and effective vaccines were introduced and gave rise to the belief that bacterial infections could be controlled and even mastered. This once widespread belief soon turned incorrect and today multiple drug resistance threatens our ability to treat many infections.

Anti-viral chemotherapy arrived much later and the nature of the viral life cycle led to the belief that anti-viral drugs could be toxic to the host. But today, we understand viral replication and viral resistance is part of the virus’s ability to adopt and overcome the various drug & drug combinations and their effects.

In the case of antivirals and anti-bacterials resistance emerges due to drug target modifications. Anti-bacterial resistance may be due to enzymatic inactivation also.

Toxicokinetics: Toxicokinetics is an assessment tool for the safety assessment of a drug.

In early 1980’s we saw pharmacokinetics as part of ADME data to assess systemic exposure either as an integral component of the pre-clinical toxicity studies or in specially designed supportive studies.

The concepts advanced out of toxicokinetics will make the drugs of future far more safer, tolerable and effective.

Proteomics : Many disease processes are manifested through changes in cellular proteins. Such changes include the expression of aberrant receptor proteins, an increase or decrease in the activity of a particular enzyme, the production of antibodies against a cellular component and any number of other processes involving proteins. Proteomics is the study and comparison of the full protein complement of cells and their interactions, using large scale methods for the simultaneous analysis of many proteins.

Today, this powerful technology is being used to study many biological processes. The experimental or clinical goals range from insights into pathogenesis, cancer diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcome to identification of the therapeutic targets.

Therapeutic vaccines: Vaccines by definition are prophylactic, but the recent past has seen the emergence of therapeutic vaccines to alleviate the suffering of those already with a disease.

The efforts in developing the therapeutic vaccine is based on the fact that it is closely related chemically to the etiological agent that causes the disease, so that the immune response directed against it can act against the causative agent.

The number of disease for which vaccines are under development are many. Diseases include HIV, Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis, parasitic diseases, gastric ulcers, autoimmune diseases, Myasthenia gravis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Copolymer 1, (Copaxone ®) used today as a vaccine against multiple sclerosis (MS) is an excellent example of a beneficial treatment for this auto-immune disease, based on its similarity to the myelin basic protein (MBP), one of the putative causes of Multiple Sclerosis.

Another interesting development is in the area of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most devastating neurological disorders remains without an effective cure. One of the main characteristics of the disease is the accumulation of extracellular protein deposits called amyloid Plaques. The main constituent of these amyloid Plaques is the amyloid- β Peptide.

What researches have now found is that a proteolytic process can produce this item and immunization with Amyloid β peptide (A β) inhibited the formation of Amyloid plaques and associated dystrophic neuritis. These results raised the possibility of a vaccination with Amyloid beta-peptide against AD.

Another interesting development is a vaccine to prevent the build up of atherosclerotic plaques. Initial studies using a peptide based vaccine showed that plaque formation can be reduced upto 70 %.

Stem cell research: In November 1998 researchers first reported the isolation of human embryonic stem (ES) cells. This discovery opened possibilities to research new ways of treating diseases. Embryonic Stem cells, which are derived from several-day-old embryos, can theoretically differentiate into virtually any type of human cell, from blood cells to skin cells. These cells may therefore be used to repair and regenerate various tissues in the body. These cells could become transplant therapies for type II diabetes, spinal cord injury, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophies, atherosclerosis and wound healing.

Discussions surrounding the ethical issues in using stem cell research is a hot bed of controversies across the globe.

Bioinformatics: Today’s drug discovery, based on genomics and proteomics depends on analysis of large amounts computationally demanding data.

For example, a typical protein structure takes 3 – 10 megabytes of storage. Multiply this by 100,000 or more proteins thought to comprise the human proteome. Add to this the hundreds of thousands of corresponding protein structures from the pharmacological model species such as rat, mouse, dog & primates or to the millions of protein structures from the various genomic model species, as well as the entire spectrum of infectious disease agents.

Now you are looking at billions of megabytes of data.

This just begins to define the challenge as well as the opportunity. The challenge is in the creation of mathematical algorithms capable of handling this type of data. Each of these data sources contains a wealth of information that today remains largely invisible or inaccessible.

Bioinformatics is focused in developing ways and means of analyzing such huge amounts of data.

DNA Array: A high throughput method for investigating the effect of therapeutic agents (proteins, drug molecules) on gene expression.

DNA arrays are quickly becoming one of the popular ways to study large-scale expression profiles for pharmaceutical purposes, as well as in basic research. Expression levels can be measured simultaneously for hundreds or thousands of genes depending on the number of DNA targets spotted on the arrays.

Tissue Engineering : is the manipulation of tissue and cells under artificial conditions with applications in regenerative medicine.

CONCLUSION :

What I have said is just an aerial view of what is going to emerge in the near future in modern medicine. New medical technologies are fast coming up making present technologies obsolete. New drugs are produced replacing existing ones. And new knowledge is coming up in place of present knowledge. Modern researches and new inventions are sure to take us to new horizons. Of course, all these will contribute much to the well being of humans. It will add more quality to one’s life, especially in the old age. BUT AT WHAT COST? This is a major question that looms large before all of us in the medical field. The new technologies and new drugs that are to come out are going to be very expensive. Poor people in our country will not get the benefit of these researches and inventions in the near future. People in the third world countries also will not get this bliss
of these initiatives. This is the big question that you all have to think about at your end. We should strive together to make the results of modern research available to the ordinary man and woman. Of course at an affordable price.

THANK YOU ALL.

Delivered on March 10, 2005 by Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D

Presidential Address at JSS College of Pharmacy
on November 25, 2002.

" Good Morning. It is an honor to be here.
Prof. Suresh, Prof. Nanjan, Prof. Chinnaswamy Thank you, for inviting me .

INDIA STANDS AT THE THRESHOLD OF A MAJOR CHANGE TODAY. With India joining WTO, we are certain to face some interesting challenges.

With the advances in telecommunications, the world has become a small place. Our ability to communicate to far away and nearby places have become very easy.

The advances in sciences are happening at mind -boggling speed. Today, words like biotechnology, Genomics, Pharmacognomics, Bioinformatics are very common among life sciences areas. India is also racing to raise to the occasion and prepare for a world of change.

While these changes are happening, we are missing out on some of the fundamentals. I would like to point out one major area.

India is home to the oldest medical system in the world called Ayurveda. Regrettably, it is now an alternate system of Medicine here. How is that possible? When more than 80% of our population depends on this system of medicine, how dare we call it an alternate system? Hopefully we will look at our system of medicine and revise to adopt it for the masses.

We have an immense wealth of information from our traditional medicine. We lack standardization and subsequent clinical documentation to bring it to modern standards.

While Allopathic system, which evolved in the last 50years has a place in modern medical practice. Herbal medicine as done by the Germans, will have a larger role to play for the future health care of India.

I am delighted to join all of you in the pioneering effort by JSS College in introducing standardization techniques for herbal formulation.

While congratulating the organization for this event, I do take into account the brilliant group of professionals they have assembled to educate the teachers. My congratulations to the organizers.

It gives me great pleasure to inaugurate this pioneering effort in standardization techniques for herbal formulation at JSS College of pharmacy. I wish the organizers and teachers a great learning experience.

Thank you

JAI HIND "

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" Pharmacy education : Focus on Challenges and knowledge creation ”

Key note address by Dr. Muhammed Majeed at the 7th APTI Annual National Convention held at Panjim in Goa on September 20th, 2002

At the outset, I must say that some of the opinions expressed by me are based on my US experience and while they may not be relevant to the Indian Scenario now, I am certain that it will be in the future.

For over ten years now, the Harris Poll in the US has shown that pharmacists are the “most trusted” among health care professionals. The future pharmacists must be trained to maintain this trust.

The Pharmacist’s mediatory role is complex and involves moral, legal and ethical issues in addition to technical expertise. It begins with the drug development process and continues through the process of ensuring the medication’s ultimate benefit to the individual and to society in general. The Pharmacist’s expertise has its foundations in the pharmaceutical sciences and related research and is focused on the welfare of the individual. This translates into practical roles in the formulation, manufacture, storage, dispensing, counseling and control of medications. Pharmacy educators therefore need to adopt a complicated alignment of research, teaching and practical roles.

In the rapidly changing global health scene, the World Health Organization estimates that the health trends are likely to be dominated by four factors in the future: the ageing of the world’s population, the unfolding of the HIV epidemic, the epidemic of tobacco-related mortality and disability, and the expected decline in childhood mortality from infectious diseases. This would necessitate a paradigm shift in the training of healthcare professionals at large. To this, I would like to add the Iatrogenic diseases, that is diseases brought forth by modern medical practices and life styles, which is gaining alarming grounds.

Pharmacists provide their services in a variety of environments, in response to a rapidly evolving set of local health care priorities and needs. The pharmacist must therefore be also an entrepreneur, inventor and innovator, successfully using his expertise to serve the immediate and long term health needs of his/her community.
The information superhighway adds to these challenges, generating dangerously half-knowledgeable patients bent on self-medication.

Recent developments in medical sciences are mind boggling, rendering the traditional academic focus grossly inadequate. There is, therefore, an increasing need to re-orient educational programs for future pharmacists towards knowledge assimilation, knowledge dissemination and most importantly, knowledge creation.

In addition, pharmacists are becoming increasingly involved in direct patient care and are taking responsibility for the resolution of drug therapy problems of individuals. In these ways, the pharmacist shoulder broader responsibilities relating to the immediate health needs of the community. In many advanced countries, the course work now extends to 6 years with a focus on clinical management of patients as part of the patient care group

On another note, advances in biotechnology are beginning to increasingly influence the course of medical science. Just as the microchip in the last century transformed the way we live, the mapping of genes is set to revolutionize medical science in the 21st century. The day is not very far off, when the corner pharmacy may be dispensing individualized medicine.

It is also true that there is a revised interest in the herbal medicines through out the world. India, with its Ayurvedic Tradition has a leading role to play. While the advances in medical and biotechnological areas are great, a system that cannot be afforded by more than 80% of the world’s population is worthless in the larger interest of the human race. I call upon my fellow pharmacists to “reinvent Ayurveda” for the human race, realizing fully well that traditional Ayurveda failed to live upto the modern testing and evolved into Industrial Ayurveda with no real relevance to the scientific basis in which Ayurveda was founded. As Indians and as healthcare providers, pharmacists must take additional initiatives and take the research in Ayurveda to new heights. Substantial amount of work and information is generated by the various RRL’s and CDRI, and several other government institutions. Till today, we have not made a concerted effort to bring Ayurveda to modern standards.

It is my firm belief that Ayurveda has stood the test of time and at the end, after decoding all the genes and developing gene based therapies, and introducing pharmacogenetics etc. etc. we may find that Ayurveda has already had answers to many of these, except that we did not look at it seriously and carefully.

Another emerging reality is the increasing use of dietary supplements across the world. Unlike conventional drugs, these are very often not supported by comprehensive documentation from the manufacturing companies or specific guidelines from healthcare professionals or from regulatory authorities. The pharmacist therefore needs to be equipped to evaluate associated safety and efficacy concerns and to advise other healthcare professionals on safe and rational use of these dietary supplements. This activity contributes both to the welfare of the individual and the overall improvement of public health. It is also important that the regulatory machinery looks at the growing trend.

In light of their evolving role in the healthcare system, pharmacists are increasingly being called upon to use their clinical training to improve drug therapy treatment. There must therefore be a greater focus on student learning, rather than faculty teaching alone, where the student is an active participant in the learning process. Developing problem solving and critical thinking skills in students is very important. Ideally, pharmacy students should be taught in academic environments in which they are in contact with students in other healthcare professions to allow early establishment of the concept of the “healthcare team” and professional collaboration, particularly in pharmacotherapy. Research demonstrates that the inclusion of a pharmacist on a patient care team reduces medication-related errors, decreases overall health care costs, and improves the quality of care a patient receives.

In order for pharmacist to succeed, he or she must develop excellent oral and written communication skills and I would encourage that to be made part of the curriculum. Especially today, the critical evaluation of existing information and the ability to synthesize contrasting information related to diseases and pharmacotherapy needs to be developed. This is extremely important in view of the plethora of accessible information available to patients and healthcare professionals, equally.

Developments in IT and biotechnology are integrated in Nanotechnology, understood as ‘the ability to control and manipulate organic and inorganic matter at the level of atoms and molecules’, leading to future applications such as “pharmacy on- a-chip”, such as novel drug delivery systems. These offer the potential to allow proteins, genes and other exciting drug candidates to be delivered directly to their site of action within a cell. Diagnostic tools and vaccines based on this technology would also be made available.

The future pharmacist needs to be well acquainted with these developments.

To meet the challenges of the future, pharmacy program content should focus on updating knowledge and skills, building perspectives, contextual problem solving, case studies, and networking. In addition to classroom instruction, conference-like settings and interaction with “expert” faculty should be made available on a regular basis. Students should be actively involved with faculty and experts in research and knowledge creation.

I am grateful to the organizers for inviting me to deliver this keynote address.

Jai Hind

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Chairman's Message to the Sami Employees

Herbal extracts, functional foods, nutraceuticals, and fine chemicals are becoming increasingly important as alternative medicines and sources of pharmacotherapeutics. The application of natural products for the treatment of chronic diseases, or as supplements to regular medicine and food is a widely accepted practice. Herbal products derived from botanicals are also used as raw materials from which more or less complex chemical structures with particular biological activity are isolated. Herbal research builds on the known uses of the herbs in the traditional systems (such as Ayurveda, Unani ,Chinese and Tibetan medicine), identification of the botanical species and their genetic variations, extractions of active ingredients in pure form or as standardized mixtures and conversion to dosage forms for easy use by the customers.

Sami Labs Ltd. is proud to be associated in this area of work and research and has established itself as a forerunner and manufacturer of quality botanical products. Extensive research and modern scientific methods and technology employed by Sami have seen our company patenting and perfecting an amazing range of products. The quality of our products has contributed to its status as a major exporter of herbal products and fine chemicals.

Sami is privileged to launch its US operations. I stand firm in the belief that our products will prove their efficacy in maintaining good health, and in countering and preventing the various diseases that afflict mankind.

Write to me at mail@samilabs.com - your input will further our commitment to good science.

Towards your health, my resolution,
Dr. Muhammed Majeed.

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Chairman Speech on Annual Day 9th oct 2004.

It is with great honor and happiness I am standing in front of you all to share with you the saga which has led us to where we are now and at the same time give a sketch as to what is in store for the future. The Annual Day Celebration is just not a moment of celebrating and breaking away from our work schedules, but I feel it is also a platform to recollect the past, evaluate our present and visualizing a better future and an opportunity for friends from Kunigal.

Now, a word about our past. It started as a 2 – 4 person from Singasandra in 1991 and today we have grown to this size.

I owe my sincere gratitude to my dear colleagues who breathes life into Sami Labs Ltd through their hard work and sincerity. But at the same time it cannot be ignored that managing an organization like SAMI LABS LTD had never been an easy task. As is known to you all, we are a multi-cultural, multi-national multi-locational and multi-faceted group and bringing with it, its own difficulties.

I think you'll agree that the more successful a business is globally, the more stable it can be locally. I should very proudly state here that this is our great advantage. We have our Sabinsa Corporation in the United States and distribution network in various developed countries like Japan . This of course adds to our corporate strength. We have to grow from strength to strength in the international market and increase our potential in India as well. To be globally competitive, it is essential that we effectively create more value than our competitors, because value-addition is very essential in a business. When it is a global business it becomes much more important. We can keep ourselves globally competitive only if we are highly productive. Today's marketplace dictates that each and every facility operates in the most cost efficient manner with highly trained/skilled workers who are able to work independently and resourcefully. It's the only way we will sustain a competitive advantage and build a business as great as our brands of products.

During this occasion I would like to bring to your notice that during the last two years we have witnessed major erosion of market dominance in the supply of key ingredients. It is not that we have not struggled to retain the dominance but that we did reach upto the mark. The reasons can be attributed partially to the growing competition and the corresponding challenges of today's global market economy which have put new demands on companies like ours. We must now compete on a worldwide basis for product inputs, technology and best of human resources. Because of this, our Sami management team will work at evolving better strategies to regain back our dominance.

Talking about our marketing front, it was a mix of hits and misses. On one hand we did achieve tremendous success, for which I would like to applaud our marketing department, but on the other side we had some moderate failure, which will be looked into in the future. We are in the process of re-evaluating, re-assessing and building a better roadmap.

In addition to our success story in Japan, Sami Labs Ltd. has begun operations in South Africa , Australia and very soon we will move to Europe and South East Asian Countries. The South African entity is called SABINSA SA PVT. LTD. and the Australian group is called Sabinsa Australia Pty Ltd. We are leveraging our Sabinsa brand in these countries.

Very shortly, we will bring into implementation a major change in our business strategy. Sami Labs is moving from being a science based ingredient supplier to a formulation based and research oriented development group and supplier. This change is expected to bring huge dividends in the future. In order to achieve this goal, we are committing approximately Rs.20 crore for additional infrastructure and research facilities.

As you are all aware, our organization never had any dearth of recognition and accolades. Our products have been well received and accepted for their quality and efficiency globally. At the same time our R&D efforts and facility have been well recognized and have been honored with prestigious awards and accolades both by Government agencies like DSIR as well as by reputed private agencies. To mention a few, we received the National R&D Award in the year 2002, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for myself in the USA and the New Jersey R&D Council has conferred on us the prestigious Thomas Alva Edison innovation Patent award for our Forskolin Patent.

The U.S. and international patents, the cornerstone of our innovation is an expensive one. It is not only getting the patent, but defending them and enforcing our patent rights have become very expensive. Nevertheless, we will continue our efforts in a more aggressive fashion both in the development and defense of our patents in the international markets.

All these laurels & credentials, I would say should make us humble further. They should serve as a source of inspiration to motivate and innovate further.

An organization is typical to an edifice, where every brick is significant. Each brick is a building block and every single piece has a vital role in maintaining and strengthening the building. At the same time, the roles that these bricks play complement and contribute to the entire whole. No part is insignificant and no component is irrelevant. Or in other words, each and every member in this organization is important for us. We know that products and services can be reproduced but never the employees. The employees are our assets and our competitive advantage.

Dear Colleagues, let me remind you that every rupee that we invest in our Research and Development, Manufacturing & Marketing, Distribution and Customer Support have to be utilized judiciously and with utmost care. To be a great business that is globally competitive, we have to maintain an ongoing customer-oriented, lean operating philosophy. I am pleased to report that we are making substantial progress towards this end.

I know doing all this, and that too with a sense of urgency may sound highly ambitious. But at the same time we must not take a laid back attitude. I am going to bank on our three powerful assets:

The commitment and talent of our people

The quality of our products

The strength of our brand

I am sure, with Teamwork and excellent contribution from all of you, I am highly hopeful that all of us together can create a multinational success story in our own homeland - India .

Thank you.
Jai Hind

Dr. Muhammed Majeed.

 

Chairman's Speech in Schoenstatt St Mary's School.

Dear Children

First of all, let me extend you all my heartfelt wishes for a Happy and good New Year.

When I was invited to come to school to deliver this felicitation, I was not sure what I will talk about. Then I started asking my friends and other people who are familiar with such speeches. Different versions came. I read, reviewed and finally decided that I will write by myself.

Then came the key matter, what is the subject I can talk to you. I am older than you. I probably could share some of my life's experience and lessons I learned over the years.

First and foremost what comes to my mind is your age. You are at a greater advantage compared to your elders. You have a golden opportunity to lay the foundation for your future success now. By that I mean doing very well in school and school sponsored extra curricular activities. You must dream of something big you want to become. It is that dream that will be the driving force behind your success.

As a young boy growing up, I always wondered how I would grow up and support a family like my father did. It had been a constant worry in my mind. I am sure some of you may also be thinking of their future. In my case, it was mostly my mother who gave me the courage to go boldly forward.

I specifically remember an instance in my life. It was 30 years back. I went to my mother and told that I have got an immigrant visa to go to America . I was expecting that she would definitely say NO, as she was getting older and needed me to take care of her. Much to my surprise, she said, “If you can do better, please go and I will pray for you”. It this encouraging word from my mother that has formed the foundation of my life over the past 30 years. The strength of her prayer and the desire to do better has made a world of difference to me and the lives of people surrounding me.

Our teachers are also a great source of inspiration for us. In addition to sharing their knowledge with you, you grow up learning discipline from them. One of the things I learned over the years is that discipline is fundamental to the success of a person. By discipline I mean your determination to be in school in time, doing your home work, achieving good grade etc. Because at this stage in your life, these are some of the most important things you need to do.

We must also at this early stage think of another important matter. There are certain things where we have the choice to make, like the choice to do well in studies. There are other instances where we do not have a choice. For example, the religion that we are born into, the color of our skin, the gender and the region into which we are born. As I said, we have limited choice in these areas. BUT WE CAN CHOOSE TO BE BETTER HUMAN BEINGS.

Avoid hatred towards other groups and live in Harmony. These are things we can choose. We must all work towards a better world where we exist as human beings.

The value of time one thing you must learn while you are very young. Always remember that time once lost is lost forever.

Schoenstatt St Mary's Nursery School, run by Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, is well known for its quality education and the spiritual, academic and cultural atmosphere within this campus. My congratulations to the Sisters of Mary for their commitment to the new generation.

It is quite interesting to note that the motto of this school is ‘firm and free personality'. The school aims at the integral formation of the young. Of course, that is the need of the time.

Finally wishing all of you gathered here a positive outlook towards life and especially the children urging them to make your parents proud of you.

Thank you