“Amar was like a younger brother to me,” recollects Dr Y.K. Hamied, drug-maker Cipla's Chairman and Managing Director, remembering Mr Amar Lulla, who passed away on Friday morning.

Mr Lulla, who has been with the company for the last 35 years, had stepped down from his post of Chief Executive and Joint Managing Director in December, last year. He continued as non-executive director with the company. In the last couple of years, he had been suffering from cancer.

Perceived by those who interacted with the company as the rather reticent, grass-roots person, Mr Lulla was instrumental in the international footprint the drug-maker has today.

Internationalise

Mr Lulla's legacy is that he helped set up world-class manufacturing facilities at Goa and Indore, and put Cipla on the international pharma map, say company-top brass who worked closely with Mr Lulla.

“He joined in (19)76, when Cipla was a small company with a turnover of rs 4 crore. Today our turnover is over Rs 6,000 crore and he's been with us through this long journey,” they point out.

Having joined the company as a 27-year old finance manager, Mr Lulla grew in the company to become its Joint Managing Director and Chief Executive. He has always helped protect Cipla, say colleagues, recollecting Mr Lulla as a workaholic, with a clear-thinking ability and clarity of objectives. Often interacting with the media, Mr Lulla was known to say it like it is, without couching difficult ground realities facing the company or industry in euphemisms.

Mr M. K. Hamied, Cipla's Joint Managing Director, defines Mr Lulla's contribution as “pivotal”. In a statement, he said: “It is a very tragic moment. We were privileged to have him in Cipla working in various capacities for over 35 years. His contribution has been simply pivotal. We all pray that his soul may rest in peace and our hearts go out to all his family members.”

Having helped set up operations in Uganda, Mr Lulla's passing was condoled, among others, by the Ugandan President and Vice-President, a company official said. Mr Lulla would have turned 63 in October, and his family comprises his wife and two daughters.

Large shoes

Mr Lulla had not been in office for several months before he resigned, but Cipla top-management have in the past maintained that the company was in professional hands, handling different operations. Cipla has not appointed a Chief Executive, after Mr Lulla stepped down last year, and industry-watchers agree, that his would be large shoes to fill.

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