“I learned at the feet of the master,” says Vinita Gupta, referring to her father, Desh Bandhu Gupta, a chemistry professor turned entrepreneur who started a pharmaceutical company in Mumbai, India, in 1968—the year she was born. At that time, the business-friendly climate of the world’s largest democracy meant Desh Bandhu could answer a meaningful calling to improve health care through science in the populous nation. He borrowed money from his wife, who Vinita says he would call, in a lighter vein, “an astute venture capitalist.” Desh Bandhu named the company Lupin after the vibrant, hardy purple perennial—also known as lupine—that enhances the soil that nourishes it. He started manufacturing vitamins before branching out into drugs to combat tuberculosis, the often-fatal bacterial infection.
“I always say Lupin was my father’s first child,” reports Vinita, the eldest of five children, all two years apart. The close-knit family shared a strong bond and still does to this day, often celebrating birthdays and holidays together. Her parents, both from humble beginnings, built their business brick by brick. The family watched and learned. “We were invited to be involved,” shares Vinita. “It was a dynamic environment to grow up in.”
Desh Bandhu started the company on an auspicious day—Gudi Padwa, a Hindu spring festival honoring new beginnings. And every year during Diwali, a Hindu festival held in the fall, Vinita says her father would gather Lupin employees to discuss where the corporation was headed, new business opportunities, and future goals. “He built his company with a lot of passion and purpose,” says Vinita.
At age 14, Vinita was invited to join her father on a business trip to Switzerland. She observed him in action, leading business meetings. Vinita explains that Desh Bandhu valued people and relationships, which she shares.
Her parents thought Vinita, who was artistic, might become an architect. But Vinita, who was also interested in science and commerce, chose to pursue a bachelor of pharmacy at the University of Mumbai. She moved abroad to complete an MBA, majoring in international business and marketing at The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois. Vinita returned to India to start a career at Lupin but explains that she was not guaranteed a position. “Our father wanted us to earn our right to work at the company,” she explains. Vinita landed a role as director of business development and began working on her dream to expand Lupin internationally, starting first in the United States.
Going Global
To eradicate debt, grow beyond domestic borders, and enhance research and development capabilities, Lupin became a publicly traded company in India in 1994. “I led the first private equity deal with Citigroup,” shares Vinita. Today the company is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
Lupin’s U.S. expansion began in the early 2000s. Lupin Pharmaceuticals USA was formed in 2003 for trading, marketing, and developmental activities. The company’s first branded product—an oral antibiotic—was introduced in the United States in 2004. In 2005, the company launched its generics business in the United States with four products.
Vinita met her husband, Brij Sharma, in New York. Also born in India, he too had come to the United States for graduate school, an MBA at Yale University. The engineer, who started his own oil and gas consulting company, invited Vinita to visit Maryland. “He was very strategic,” says Vinita, “showing me a beautiful condo on the waterfront.” The couple wed in 1998 in India. Ultimately, Vinita opened the American headquarters of Lupin in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2005, Brij and Vinita welcomed their only child, son Krish.
From 2003 to 2013, under Vinita’s leadership, Lupin’s U.S. revenue increased significantly, driven by a focus on the American generics market. By 2013, both Vinita and her only brother, Nilesh Gupta, had taken on leadership roles with the flourishing company, Vinita as CEO and Nilesh, based in India, as managing director. Her three younger sisters—two of whom reside in Chicago—pursued callings outside of Lupin. Their mother, Manju D. Gupta, took on the role of non-executive chairman at Lupin after Desh Bandhu passed away in 2017.
“I thrive on the energy of others,” says Vinita. She spent her early years with the company opening as many doors as possible, cultivating partnerships. She led Lupin, acquiring companies from within Germany and Brazil to Japan to South Africa. Today the company employs more than 24,000 people globally and has operations in 11 countries spanning six continents. Lupin operates 15 manufacturing plants and seven research and development facilities around the world, including the Center of Excellence for Inhalation Research in Coral Springs, Florida. Almost two-thirds of the company’s business is now conducted outside of India.
The Future Blooms Bright
While they loved Maryland, Vinita, Brij, and Krish often visited Naples, staying at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. The family became familiar with the area, enjoying the restaurants, golf courses, and beaches. Eventually, they purchased a condo at The Dunes of Naples on Vanderbilt Beach. In 2015, they moved to Naples and purchased a home within a North Naples neighborhood. Krish, a junior at the University of Florida studying finance and international business, loves golf and the outdoors, as does his father. “He is a Florida boy through and through,” says Vinita. Naples is now home of the U.S. headquarters of Lupin, too.
Travel is inevitable for the CEO of a global company. “Every two weeks I am somewhere different,” explains Vinita. To stay energized for endless meetings, Vinita works out every day. In addition to strength training and cardio, she has recently added yoga to her routine. Once a week she has a massage and partakes in active release therapy to relieve muscle and soft-tissue tension. And, to quiet the mind and for balance and introspection, Vinita periodically engages in Vipassana, a Buddhist-type meditation she first started practicing at age 20, which began with 10 days of not speaking.
Vinita’s workday is typically full. The first part is spent making calls to Asia, which is nine to 10 times zones ahead. She then focuses on communicating with Europe and finally North America, fueling her day with a pot of freshly made chai, noting, “I’m a tea person.”
Although she says “the drug industry is often perceived as evil,” and “and there is not a great appreciation for it,” Vinita is excited for the future. “We estimate our company currently provides more than $20 billion in annual savings to the American health care system with generic medicines,” she relays.
Like the colorful lupine plant—resilient to challenging environments and enriching the earth around it—Vinita will continue to seek new ground in which to grow, as Lupin works to increase access to affordable medicines worldwide.
Story Credits:
Shot on location at the residence of Vinita Gupta and Brij Sharma, Naples
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