Driving Pharma’s Digital Shift with Security and Compliance at the Core
As the pharmaceutical industry moves rapidly toward AI driven and data centric operations, the need for strong governance, cyber security and regulatory compliance has never been greater. At SCL Lifesciences, this responsibility is being led by Karan Sharma, Head IT, who is ensuring that technology growth remains secure, compliant and business focused.
Looking ahead to 2026, Sharma makes it clear that the company’s most important technology priority is not experimentation but protection and compliance.
“Our foremost priority is the DPDP Act,” says Sharma. “The government has made it live and it comes with strict milestones of six months, twelve months and eighteen months. The first phase is mandatory and the penalties are huge. More than that, we want to be in a compliant state.”
With SCL Lifesciences managing sensitive data belonging to employees, vendors and customers, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act has become a central pillar of its IT roadmap. While many industry leaders feel the regulation is ambiguous, Sharma believes the clarity already exists for organisations that take the time to understand it.
“There is a government guideline available and there are many service providers who help organisations decode it,” says Sharma. “The Act clearly defines what personal data must be stored, how long it should be retained and when it must be discarded. If it is interpreted properly, it is not ambiguous at all.”
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply embedded into business processes, Sharma is equally firm that compliance and ethics will never be compromised, especially in a highly regulated pharma environment.
“Pharma is a completely different ball game,” Sharma explains. “Every country has its own regulatory framework and all of them must be followed. AI and any other technology has to work within those boundaries. Compliance will always come first.”
While many organisations struggle with outdated infrastructure, Sharma believes the real challenge is not technology but mindset and planning.
“The biggest challenges with legacy systems are mindset and cost,” says Sharma. “Upgrading needs to be done in phases with a clear roadmap and priorities. If leadership is aligned and the investment is planned, the challenges become manageable.”
Cyber security remains another key focus area for SCL Lifesciences, with the organisation adopting a layered security architecture across its digital ecosystem.
“Every organisation works on three basic pillars: network, data and email,” Sharma says. “We have firewalls, endpoint security, cloud DLP, CASB and email security tools in place. Each layer is protected with dedicated solutions.”
Beyond protection, SCL Lifesciences is also using data as a strategic enabler. The company runs its own in house ERP system and integrates business intelligence tools to provide leadership with real time insights.
“We have dashboards and Power BI integrated into our systems,” says Karan Sharma. “Custom reports are built as per management requirements so decisions can be taken quickly and with confidence because the data is always available.”
In addition to driving digital transformation, Sharma recently led the organisation of a major industry event, an experience he describes as intense but rewarding.
“It was a mix of emotions with sleepless nights and teams working day and night,” Sharma shares. “But when the guests are happy and everything runs smoothly, it makes all the effort worthwhile.”
With a compliance first mindset, strong cyber security foundations and data driven decision making, SCL Lifesciences is building a digital future that is both innovative and secure. Under Karan Sharma’s leadership, the company is proving that in a regulated industry like pharmaceuticals, smart technology adoption begins with trust, governance and clarity.
Karan Sharma’s responses reflect a clear and disciplined approach to digital transformation at SCL Lifesciences. His focus on compliance, security and structured planning shows that technology is being used responsibly in a highly regulated pharma environment. Rather than chasing trends, he emphasizes building a strong foundation of governance and data driven decision making. From an interviewer’s perspective, it highlights how SCL Lifesciences is aligning innovation with trust and long term sustainability.
