Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal (SVKM), established in 1934, is a Public Charitable Trust serving over 60,000 students pan India. The SVKM management provides comprehensive education and promotes professionalism, social sensitivity and evolving academic curriculum across its institutes. SVKM’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy was started in 2004 with a mission centered on cultivating professionalism, inculcating social sensitivity and encouraging entrepreneurship skills in the students. It is affiliated to the University of Mumbai and approved by the Pharmacy Council of India, and offers B. Pharm, M. Pharm (Pharmaceutics, Quality Assurance, Pharmacology, and Pharmaceutical Analysis) and Ph. D. programs (Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry).
It is accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in the 1st cycle with A++ grade and CGPA of 3.64 on 4-point scale, a feat achieved by very few pharmacy institutes in the country. It is re-accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) for 6 years (2023- 2029), accreditation by these national agencies is a measure of the “Quality Status and Standards” of BNCP. It is a confirmation of the institute performance comprising of educational processes, curriculum, teaching-learning systems, research, infrastructure, learning resources, organization, governance and student services and activities. It is consistently ranked in the top 50 pharmacy institutes of the country in the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) since it’s inception and has secured rank 39 in 2024. It has many awards to its credit – the AICTE-CII awards, inter-collegiate Aavishkar Research Convention awards. The institute is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a pilot plant, an animal house and advanced instrumentation laboratories, enabling high-quality research for postgraduate and doctoral students. It promotes a vibrant learning atmosphere and continually upgrades its infrastructure to enhance academic excellence, promote quality research and nurture all round growth of students translating them into technically sound and socially sensitive pharma professionals ready to take on challenges of the healthcare and allied industries.
The institute has a forward-thinking approach and employs innovative teaching learning strategies to execute an integrated curriculum that seamlessly blends theoretical knowledge with practical applications. The dynamic learning ambience promotes active engagement of students in diverse activities contributing to their holistic development and maturity.
The institute offers a bouquet of value added short-term skill development certificate courses, which equip the graduates with the necessary skill-sets required by the pharmaceutical industry in close collaboration with its industry partners. These courses give a competitive advantage to our students and enhance employability in addition to keeping them abreast of the current fields of the profession. The students acquire invaluable real-world exposure via a series of field trips, industry visits and internships organized by the institute.
The institute is conscious of its role in creating an innovation ecosystem and organizes several workshops and guest lectures featuring industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs to seed and promote entrepreneurship mindset early on in the students. This sows the seeds of self-initiative, removes the fear of failure and encourages the students to become competent stakeholders in the profession. The institute is approved by the University of Mumbai as a Start-up Clinic, a dedicated support center that fosters entrepreneurship ideas, mentors students on garnering resources from investor funding agencies and overall encourages students to imagine, capture and roll out their ideas. The students participate in sessions on design thinking, a process that cultivates an experimental mindset in entrepreneurs, encouraging them to prototype, test, and refine their ideas to enhance product-market fit.
Empowered and driven by the dynamic leadership of Principal, Dr. Munira Momin and a resolute commitment to academic excellence and research innovation, BNCP makes strides in moving towards being recognized as a global leader in pharmacy education. Embodying its mission-“Motivation, Leadership and Sensitivity“- the institute is well-positioned to shape the next generation of pharmacy professionals to make a significant impact in the field.
Developing Leadership Qualities in Pharmacy Students
BNCP plays a significant role in the comprehensive development of students. The institute is not only a hub of education; but also provides a platform for acquiring the skills needed to be a competent and successful professional.
The students can be a part of the Student Council and Training & Placement Cell wherein they acquire valuable lessons of interpersonal skills, teamwork, leadership, decision-making, adaptability, integrity, and ethical practices. The students, in consultation with faculty coordinators, are trained to plan, organize and execute cultural programs, professional events such as seminars, conferences, programs of societal relevance such as health camps, and mock placement interviews.
The students of the Social Sensitivity Cell, Dayitva, the Public Health Office cell, and those enrolled in the National Service Scheme (NSS) undertake activities of social significance in remote villages. These events are organized and executed seamlessly by the students, in consultation with faculty coordinators.
Staying Updated on Industry Trends in Pharmacy
The faculty comprises of well-qualified and experienced professionals, who ensure that students understand the basics, are able to apply their knowledge and are aware of the industry-processes.
The institute periodically organizes seminars, workshops and conferences on topics of current relevance, promoting a vibrant learning environment. This is reflected in the numerous accolades won by the postgraduate and PhD fellows and undergraduate students for research, curricular and co-curricular achievements. The institute organizes placement grooming sessions that include rigorous training in basic and advanced soft skills and communication skills, mock interviews to enhance readiness for campus placement and makes them industry-ready. The institute has established strong industry connects, with professionals contributing to governance and curriculum improvement.
Students undertake industry-relevant projects, emphasizing data integrity and ethical practices. An evolving landscape of Value-added certificate courses in areas like Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Computer aided drug design and development, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning keep students updated on industry trends and gives them a competitive edge over their contemporaries.
Empowering Future Pharmacists through Innovative Learning
The institute emphasizes hands-on learning, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, team work and project management. Initiatives like the BNCP “Scintellect” research platform nurtures research in undergraduate students as early as the first year and empowers the students to undertake innovative research projects under faculty mentorship, often culminating in research publications in peer reviewed prestigious journals and presentations at national and international conferences.
The Scintellect platform has contributed immensely to students securing admission for higher education in renowned institutes in the country and abroad. The annual “Parishodhana” competition (an entrepreneurship skill initiative) challenges students’ creative thinking and problem solving abilities and helps them to provide solutions in a structured manner to real life industry defined problems.
The Research Open House is an opportunity for students and faculty from other institutes to get an overview of the research infrastructure and expertise of BNCP. The postgraduate Research Induction Program enhances research skills and creates awareness on professional ethics. Awareness of the availability and utility of technical resources allows the students to frame their own research problems and arrive at valuable conclusions in their research. These approaches strengthen student confidence, reinforce their lateral thinking skills shaping them into competent and efficient professionals.
Bridging the Gap Between Education and Industry
The institute takes conscientious efforts in preparing the students for the industry by promoting interaction with industry personnel at various forums. It involves industry experts and seeks their inputs and advice to enhance curriculum effectiveness, design the coursework of skill development courses, invites them for guest lectures that provide insights into current trends and challenges of the pharma industry. Active collaboration and memorandum of understanding with pharmaceutical companies facilitates field visits, and internships allowing students to gain hands-on knowledge and build professional networks. The faculty also undergo training in the industry to upgrade their existing knowledge.
Connecting with Alumni for Job Opportunities
The institute has a global alumni network with footprints across many continents. These alumni have proven their excellence in various sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, fast moving consumer goods companies, hospitals, insurance, finance, research & development organizations and academics. These distinguished alumni embody the institute ethos and echo the high academic standards, serving as ambassadors’ worldwide and inspiring current students while contributing actively in institute governance, research, training, and placement.
BNCP alumni hold prestigious positions in leading companies, including AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Baxter, BSV, Abbott, Takeda, Novartis, and Gilead Sciences. Additionally, many have pursued postgraduate and Ph.D. programs at top-notch universities like Harvard, MIT and Johns Hopkins University, further enhancing the institute reputation in the field. The Alumni Association develops connections among alumni, students and faculty, creating a dynamic community that enhances educational and professional opportunities. The association regularly interacts with students, offering career guidance and facilitating industry connections for placement and training.
Events such as the “Alumni Connect Lecture Series” and “Alumni Shadow Program” enrich student-learning experiences. The establishment of BNCP Alumni International Chapter extends alumni connections globally, supporting the institute’s mission of excellence in education and research.
Effective Soft Skills Training for Pharmacy Students
The institute offers training in soft skills and communication skills across the academic curriculum of the B. Pharm and M. Pharm programs. The students are trained to give interviews and group discussions as a part of its pre-placement program. The institute provides a strong support for students’ career opportunities through a dedicated Training and Placement Cell that facilitates campus placement by addition of new companies every year organizing talks with industry professionals, keeping students informed about current developments and guiding their career aspirations. The placement activities are managed through a SAP module, enabling close monitoring of student career journey and professional growth.
Preparing Students for Real-world Challenges in Healthcare
The institute is committed to nurture and mentor students for effective execution of their professional and societal responsibilities. In addition to a strong curriculum, the students are engaged in diverse research projects as a part of their undergraduate and postgraduate research projects. This helps the students to understand how knowledge is constructed and how to evaluate research concepts and published works. This helps the students to develop problem-solving skills, an outcome of their personal project experience and enhances their critical thinking and communication skills.
The Social Sensitivity Cell, Dayitva, the Public Health Office, and the NSS platforms ensure that the students are grounded and stay connected to societal needs and imbibe the relevance of their profession to the society at large. The institute environment provides impetus to imbibe moral, ethical and professional values in whatever role they play as they evolve in their careers.
Integrating AI into Pharmacy Curriculum
The landscape of Pharmacy education is changing rapidly due to new technologies, shifting healthcare paradigms, and a focus on personalized care. The advent of AI and ML is dynamically changing both drug discovery and development making it mandatory for the students to adapt and learn these technologies in their academic curriculum. To prepare students for these changes, the institute offers short-term certificate courses and promotes enrollment through a SVKM Trust scholarship scheme. The Institute Innovation Cell nurtures entrepreneurial skills via guest lectures on startups and investment opportunities. The institute employs a T-shaped learning model, integrating theoretical and practical courses while encouraging co-curricular and extracurricular participation throughout the academic year.
BNCP is committed to make the students technically proficient, equip them with strong written and oral communication skills, imbibe curiosity, social sensitivity and professional ethics and mold them into competent pharma professionals ready to face the challenges of the healthcare industry.
