Mr G V Masurkar was a visionary leader in Indian pharmaceutical industry and also, the man and brains behind the popular Indian paracetamol brand “CROCIN” that today is a household painkiller brand in India. The year 2022 marks the 100th birth anniversary of this pharmaceutical visionary & pioneer and will be celebrated by his family, organisations and industry members across the nation.
Born in 1922, Mr G V Masurkar was the son of Shrimati Rukhma Vitthal Masurkar, a woman pharmaceutical entrepreneur in 1930s rural Karnataka popular for her home-made skin remedies. Inspired by his mother’s life struggles and passion for developing medicines, he adopted pharmacy as a profession and started his career as a pharmaceutical representative at Duphar Interfran Limited (formerly known as Crookes Interfran Ltd.) in the 1960s. His passion for innovative medicine & electric dynamism allowed him to rapidly move up the ladder right to the top position of marketing & sales manager of the company. He was instrumental in bringing newer innovative medicines from the UK & Europe including paracetamol, Lacto-calamine, vitamin D etc. into INDIA and launching them successfully in the market for the first time.
Mr G V Masurkar’s entrepreneurial spirit & strong interest in areas of ophthalmic, ENT & Dermatology medicines encouraged him to take early retirement in the late 1970s from Duphar Interfran Limited and set up his own speciality pharmaceutical venture – ENTOD Pharmaceuticals Ltd. with almost zero capital investment. ENTOD started off as a contract manufacturer for sterile, injectable and dermatology products in the year 1977 by establishing two manufacturing units. In the early 1980’s, ENTOD set up its own formulation R&D centre under Medisearch Laboratories. During the 80s and 90s, ENTOD was quickly gathering pace in the pharmaceutical space by increasing the number of products considerably by investing in various new formulation & manufacturing. By the late 1990s, ENTOD moved away from contract manufacturing and started its own marketing & sales operations.
Speaking about his entrepreneurship spirit, Executive Director of ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, Mr Nikkhil K Masurkar said , “He was a mentor to all of us. He always took the time out to connect, listen, discuss, and point out new opportunities. He was passionate and fascinated by all aspects of healthcare and probably that’s why he was always trying to make a difference for patients with life-changing solutions across the therapeutic spectrum. ENTOD Pharmaceuticals which started as a passion project of Mr G V Masurkar turned out to be the greatest purpose of his life. His specialised expertise in formulation development and pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies allowed him to pioneer the development and manufacture of niche medicines that were not available elsewhere during those times but were greatly required in medical practice. Starting off as a contract manufacturer, ENTOD quickly grew its field strength over the years to become one of the fasting growing speciality pharma companies in India. Today ENTOD operates both in the domestic and overseas markets with a presence in over 55 countries worldwide. Currently ENTOD has more than 250 speciality medicines in its product range with over 1000 employees worldwide. With consistent YOY growth exceeding 35% in the last 5 years, ENTOD is poised to be the market leader in the speciality segments in which it operates. ENTOD has also forayed into the medical cosmetics and ophthalmic surgical segments by collaborating with NuSkin London. The joint venture is expected to help commercialise NuSkin London’s skincare and medical cosmetic innovations across the Indian sub-continent and international markets like Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore and others.”
“The greatest asset of Mr G V Masurkar was his consistency in following a strict ethical business model based on integrity, trust & honesty and to always ensure that everyone in the organisation is treated with the same level of respect, love and care irrespective of their title, position and background. He established a unique family-based working culture & value system within ENTOD that today forms the backbone of the organisation. With the eternal guidance and blessings of Mr G V Masurkar, the company has grown from strength to strength and transformed into one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical companies in the Ophthalmic ENT & Dermatology markets worldwide. And despite having left for his heavenly abode almost a decade ago, his spirit of pharmaceutical entrepreneurship, corporate humanity & unbreakable determination lives on in every member of his family & organisation” said Mr Kishore Masurkar, Chairman & Managing Director, Entod Pharmaceuticals
