Mankind Pharma’s Smarter, More Resilient Supply Chain Planning with o9

In an industry where shelf availability can make the difference between life and death, agility in planning represents more than competitive advantage; it’s a serious responsibility. At Mankind Pharma, one of India’s top five pharmaceutical companies, the stakes are especially high. With over 1,500 SKUs across 15+ therapeutic categories, from chronic care and oncology to veterinary and agricultural products, the company operates one of the most complex supply networks in the healthcare space.

Speaking at aim10x Digital, Arun A, AGM Demand Planning Lead, and Bharath Bhushan Rathi, Head of Distribution and Logistics, shared how the company is transforming its operations through digital planning, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration, all powered by o9’s platform.

A supply chain within a supply chain

“We’re not just manufacturing heavy, we’re distribution-deep,” said Bharath. With over 30 manufacturing plants and 200+ vendor partners, Mankind Pharma is running multiple, interdependent supply chains. Some of the portfolio requires centralization, others must be distributed closer to the point of care. The result? “It’s a supply chain within a supply chain,” he said.

This complexity is further compounded by regulatory constraints. Many products can’t be switched between vendors quickly due to lengthy approval processes. “You need a gestation period to develop an alternate source,” Bharath explained. “So you need forecasting accuracy, but also agility.”

That’s where o9 came in.

From silos to a single system of truth

Before adopting o9, Mankind Pharma had been working for several years to set up standard processes. But there was a missing link: integrated planning.

“We were still working in silos,” Arun said. “Nothing was connected end-to-end. We wanted a platform that could help us standardize best practices but also adapt to the unique needs of pharma. That’s why we chose o9.”

The team focused on building a unified platform that could enable end-to-end planning—from demand to rough cut capacity planning (RCCP). “We’ve moved from Excel to a platform,” said Bharath. “Now, more than 400 users are on o9, which means we’re capturing insights from 400 different perspectives.”

User engagement was key. “We partnered with end-users from day one,” Arun emphasized. “If you don’t involve them, your design won’t reflect reality. If you spend time on the design, you’ll spend less time on UAT.”

20% less inventory, 80% fewer service losses

Even before full deployment, the benefits began to show. “At the design validation and SAT stage, we achieved about 70% accuracy at the SKU-location level,” said Arun. “That allowed us to reduce inventory by 20% and cut service losses by 80%.”

These results were achieved within just 4–5 months of launch. “We’re still only using a fraction of o9’s full capability,” Bharath added. “The results didn’t come from the platform alone. It took a year and a half of hard work. But now, we’re reaping the rewards.”

What’s next: AI, external signals, and touchless planning

With the foundation in place, Mankind Pharma is already thinking ahead.

“In the short term, we want to move to machine learning-based forecasting,” said Arun. “We want to understand how promotions or weather affect demand.” Multi-echelon inventory optimization is also on the near-term roadmap.

Longer-term, the team envisions building a control tower for autonomous planning. Bharath described how external data (like hospital admissions or search trends for diseases) could be integrated into demand planning. “Can I get data on how many people are searching for malaria or typhoid?” he asked. “That would make our plans even more accurate.”

The goal? “Touchless planning for 95% of the network,” he said. “And a data-driven system for responding to anomalies.”

Advice to supply chain professionals: Start with process, stay with data

When asked for advice to young professionals, both speakers emphasized the importance of fundamentals.

“Don’t underestimate the power of these platforms,” Bharath said. “But remember: technology only delivers results if your processes are sound.”

Arun echoed the point. “AI is coming in a big way to supply chain. But cost, quality, and service will always matter. Focus on those, and you’ll be ready for any disruption.”

For Mankind Pharma, the supply chain transformation is about more than tools and metrics. It’s about delivering the right medicine, to the right place, at the right time—in a world that’s constantly changing.

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