Dhyey Bhikadiya is that kid at the controls who seems to have an effortless grasp of how things work and, moreover, how processes can be improved. It would be a stretch to call him a prodigy or savant, but even his first employers in the chemical and pharma businesses recognized that Dhyey was up to the challenge and put him at the helm of complex equipment and processes.
Born in India and educated in the US, he has for the past five years immersed himself in different aspects of the pharmaceutical industry, gaining expertise in quality product design, setting up quality systems, and formulating dietary supplements. He also knows how to guide these new products, which can range from probiotics to vitamins, through the validation process, controlling their quality, gaining compliance, and finally packaged and out onto the market.
Dhyey acknowledges he has a knack for such things. "I have a sharp attention to detail and strong problem-solving skills, especially in identifying root causes of quality issues," he says. "My ability to apply my education to real-world challenges has helped me find practical solutions for complex problems and I've successfully resolved quality and manufacturing issues for various national and international firms, improving their processes and ensuring compliance."
Extensive Experience
From the get-go, Dhyey was drawn to the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from PP Savani University, a renowned private university in India, and then continued his studies in the US, where he earned a master's in pharmaceutical manufacturing from Stevens Institute of Technology, a premier research institute in Hoboken, New Jersey, with views of Manhattan. Dhyey graduated from Stevens in 2023. His master's studies were supported by a $20,000 scholarship. As part of his studies, he learned about the manufacture of biopharma products, statistical methods in the life sciences industry, quality assurance approaches and good manufacturing processes, and project management.
Commensurate with his academic tracks, Dhyey also immersed himself in the business world. He did several internships in India, one with Godrej Industries, a top chemical company, and another at Colourtex Industries, a dye and pigment manufacturer. At Godrej, Dhyey was put in charge of six different parts of the oleochemical process. At Colourtex, he monitored the functioning of an effluent treatment plant and its reactors.
Dhyey also worked as a quality engineer for Aditya Birla Chemicals, one of the leading players in chemical manufacturing in India. Here he left his mark, making changes in the firm's quality system as it moved to a new business model. This involved a lot of liaising with various participants in the quality assurance process, as well as with different departments to ensure regulatory compliance during the transition.
Ensuring the Highest Quality
Since 2022, Dhyey has continued his commitment to ensuring the highest quality products at Pioneer Life Sciences, a New Jersey-based maker of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. At Pioneer, he has rapidly been promoted, moving from Quality Assurance Specialist I to Quality Assurance Specialist II, and finally to Senior Quality Assurance Specialist. In each role he has gained experience, not just with tweaking quality management systems to perform better, but also in dealing with domestic and international customers as part of the production process.
One highlight was setting up a new manufacturing plant for the Gibraltar-headquartered biotech Gnosis by Lesaffre, in which the firm produces probiotic yeast. He also worked on improving the quality of Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain and inflammatory diseases such as gout. This involved eliminating impurities in 2,6-Dichlorophenol, a compound used in the product, as well as managing production issues connected to printing and packaging.
Throughout, he remains committed to keeping production regulatory compliant and efficient. "It's very important and crucial for any company to comply with regulatory guidelines," says Dhyey. "I also have expertise in pre-audit readiness checks, and can review and provide gap analyses connected to the quality system."
Giving Back
Just some years into his career, Dhyey says he wants to use the expertise and knowledge he's gained to help smaller-scale pharmaceutical companies that have limited resources to comply with regulatory guidelines. Someday he would also like to contribute to shaping industry policies, becoming in his words a "key decision maker" in the US Food and Drug Administration.
"I can drive impactful changes in quality assurance regulations," he suggests.
