Novartis was formed by the merger of Ciba Geigy and Sandoz in 1996. It is amongst the world’s leading pharmaceutical and consumer health companies. Novartis India Limited is a subsidiary of Novartis AG. It has revenues of about US$ 109 million and around 1,000 employees. Novartis India’s business operations comprise the following:

• Pharmaceuticals: This segment includes therapeutic segments like hypertension, antiinflammatory and anti-fungal. It registered sales of over US$ 67.5 million with a growth of 6.2 per cent over the past one year.
• Generics: The generics business includes segments like gynaecology and anti-TB. The segment registered sales of over US$ 23.8 million in 2003-04.
• OTC: The over-the-counter segment (OTC) includes vitamins, minerals and supplements, and it registered a growth of over US$ 10.3 million in 2003-04 with launch of a few new products.
• Animal Health: The animal health segment primarily includes drugs for cattle. The segment had sales of over US$ 8.2 million in 2003-04.