Future will belong to collaborative and implementation-focused ecosystems

As India’s pharma cold chain industry evolves to support biologics, vaccines and other temperature-sensitive therapies, the focus is shifting toward compliance, digitalisation and workforce competency. Sarvesh Chaubey, Founder, National Accreditation Body for Cold Chain Management (NAB-CCM), shares insights on the sector’s key challenges and the importance of building a more integrated and resilient cold chain ecosystem

- Swati Rana

How do you see the pharma cold chain industry evolving in India over the next decade?

India’s pharma cold chain industry is entering a transformative phase, driven by biologics, vaccines, specialty drugs, cell and gene therapies, and increasing global regulatory expectations. Over the next decade, I believe the industry will move from infrastructure-focused growth to ecosystem-driven growth, where compliance, digitalisation, workforce competency, traceability and sustainability become equally important. India has the potential to emerge as a global leader in GDP-compliant, temperature-sensitive supply chains if industry, academia and regulatory bodies collaborate more closely.

What role does the National Accreditation Body for Cold Chain Management (NAB-CCM) play in strengthening the pharma supply chain ecosystem?

NAB-CCM has been conceptualised as an industry-focused platform aimed at strengthening cold chain awareness, workforce competency, implementation-focused discussions, and collaboration between industry, academia and regulatory stakeholders. Our objective is to encourage practical dialogue around GDP implementation, operational excellence, sustainability and future-ready cold chain ecosystems. Through initiatives such as industry roundtables, training frameworks and knowledge-sharing platforms, we aim to contribute to building a more resilient and compliant cold chain ecosystem in India.

What are the biggest risks facing temperature-sensitive pharma logistics today?