Careers in Pharmaceutical Engineering

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the fastest growing and flourishing industries across the world. Since medications have become a necessity and are required round the year, this industry has plenty to offer to both fresher graduates and experts. A branch of pharmaceutical science and technology, pharmaceutical engineering utilizes the concept of both biology and biochemistry to design, develop, and manufacture pharmaceutical drugs. To satisfy the constant growing demand of medicines and save the mankind from the deadly clutches of known and unknown diseases, pharmaceutical engineering is gaining immense popularity in the recent times. With quality problem-solving principles and quantitative training in engineering, pharmaceutical engineers can apply their skills and expertise in biopharmaceutical plants, biotechnological plants, and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries engaged in drug development.

Course Details
Like most other engineering branches, pharmaceutical engineering is offered at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctorate levels numerous well-known engineering and technology institutes across India. The minimum eligibility criterion for undergraduate (BE/B.Tech/B.Sc) programs in pharmaceutical science and technology, pharmaceutical engineering, or any related subject is 10+2 pass with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as mandatory subjects. For admission to postgraduate programs, candidates should hold a BE/B.Tech/M.Sc degree in the relevant subject from a recognized university. Interested candidates can continue their studies after M.Tech through research work in the relevant field.

Career Prospects
Right from designing to constructing to producing to packaging, pharmaceutical engineers are required at every level of a pharmaceutical organization. Every sector of this industry offers a wide variety of careers to discover, both in India and abroad. A pharmaceutical engineer is required at different levels, including research of new drugs and drug delivery systems, scale-up process, manufacturing, labeling and packaging, facility design, management, and sales. Apart from hardcore pharmaceutical engineering positions, a pharmaceutical engineer can work under various engineering and science areas, like chemical engineering, bioprocesses engineering, chemistry, and biochemistry, among others, depending upon education, experience, and requirement of the job. Scientists and educationists in various institutions are other sectors to look out for prospering job offers.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
This challenging and rewarding field of engineering is offered at different institutions, spread throughout India. Some leading colleges are: Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Anna University, Chennai; Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad; Bharathidasan Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tiruchchirappalli, Tamil Nadu; and Nirma University, Ahmedabad.

Remuneration
To start off with, pharmaceutical engineers can be recruited in companies at salaries ranging from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month. With relevant experience and apposite knowledge, senior engineers can expect higher remuneration packages between Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 60,000. Pharmaceutical engineers at managerial levels and those hired in government sectors are bestowed with handsome incentives and perks, though they are entirely performance and position based.