Sonik Sourabh: Building Trust in Every Pill

How a curious engineer turned his understanding of systems into a mission to build transparency in healthcare!

Every time a person orders medicine online, there is an unspoken expectation. The medicine must arrive on time, sealed with care, and authentic enough to be trusted without question. Behind that quiet assurance stands a network of systems, suppliers, and people who make it happen. Among them is Sonik Sourabh, a professional who has spent years ensuring that reliability in India’s healthcare supply chain is never left to chance.

Sonik is now the Senior Manager – Planning & Purchase at Tata 1mg. He is responsible for pharmaceutical procurement, supply chain strategy, and vendor management nationwide, with the clear objective of delivering medicines on time, in full, and with complete authenticity. The service he provides is a direct link to millions of people, as he ensures that the most vital drugs are, in fact, delivered to the patients at the time when they are most in need.

His journey towards this role, however, did not start with logistics or management theories. It began with curiosity. During his engineering days at BITM Santiniketan, Sonik would often get deeply interested in systems, their interconnections, the way a little change can lead to a big shift, and the importance of each moving part. That sense of order, of understanding how things fit together, became his early approach to problem-solving.

Having finished his management studies at MDI Murshidabad, where he was a prominent participant in various campus activities such as the Corporate Relations Committee and the PR Media & Web Committee, he decided to take a plunge in the healthcare supply chain area. During the years, he was part of the teams at PharmEasy, Medlife, and Healthmug, learning and getting a feel of India’s super lively ePharmacy surroundings which are changing in a fast pace.

Every position gave him a better insight into the fact that the distribution in healthcare relies on accuracy and moral values at the same time. He came to the conclusion that a supply chain is not merely a procedure; rather, it is a pledge. A vendor, a dispatch and a delivery are all instances where trust can either be obtained or squandered. Trust was the guiding principle for him when he was promoted in the industry.

At Tata 1mg, Sonik manages relationships with more than 500 suppliers and 100 Carrying and Forwarding Agents. He ensures that every link in this chain performs with accuracy and accountability. Under his leadership, the company has achieved over 95 percent On-Time, In-Full (OTIF) performance, setting a new standard for reliability in the sector.

What makes Sonik’s approach distinctive is his focus on ethical growth. He founded SupplySure, an initiative dedicated to ensuring authenticity and transparency across supply chains. The vision is simple, to build systems that consumers can trust without hesitation. In an age where counterfeit medicines and unverified sourcing pose serious threats, initiatives like this hold immense value.

Beyond his corporate work, Sonik wears several other hats. He is a guest lecturer, keynote speaker, and mentor who regularly engages with institutions such as NMIMS, SOIL, IIHMR, and LNMIIT. His lectures are known for their clarity and grounded approach. He does not just teach frameworks; he shares real stories from the field, stories of collaboration, negotiation, and leadership under pressure.

His platform, MBA PrepQuest, extends that same mentorship to students and young professionals preparing for their management careers. Through it, he helps aspirants navigate placements, build confidence, and understand the expectations of the business world. For many, he has become a mentor who listens, guides, and encourages without pretense.

Recognition has followed, but for Sonik, it has always been a byproduct, never the pursuit. He has been named an Under 30 Superstar Winner by Celerity for impactful leadership in the pharma supply chain. He has received the Topmate Creator Award for thought leadership and mentorship. As a Top Mentor at Unstop, he has guided countless students toward successful careers. His association as a Member of Committee at Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, reflects his continued commitment to fostering innovation-led entrepreneurship in India.

What people often notice about Sonik is his calm presence and methodical thinking. Whether he is addressing a team challenge or guiding a student, he brings the same mix of patience and precision. His belief is simple, efficiency must go hand in hand with integrity.

He often says that supply chains are a reflection of life. They thrive when each part performs its role honestly. They fail when trust breaks, even slightly. That philosophy has guided every system he has built, every vendor he has worked with, and every young professional he has mentored.

In his current role, Sonik continues to expand Tata 1mg’s specialty and generic medicine categories, improve vendor collaborations, and strengthen the foundations of a transparent procurement network. His leadership blends analytics with empathy, ensuring that performance metrics never overshadow ethical intent.

Projecting forward, the journey from an electrical engineering graduate in Santiniketan to a Senior Manager at Tata 1mg feels like a natural progression of curiosity meeting purpose. Each step taught him something about resilience, consistency, and the importance of human connection in business systems.

When asked about what drives him, Sonik often explains it in simple terms. “Healthcare is personal. Every time a person orders medicine, they place their trust in us. That trust must never be broken.”

This statement does more than define him; it truly speaks about a leader who prefers to serve people through systems and achieve results for the purpose of serving.

From the large perspective of the healthcare industry in India, the likes of Sonik, the professionals, are a silent revolution. They are the new age builders who are marking the era of ethics in the industry and gaining leadership status through mentoring. They all remind us that advancement is not just a matter of speed or numbers; it also concerns consistency, compassion, and standing up for what is right even when nobody is observing.

For Sonik, every on-time delivery is a logistical success and more than that, it is a double confirmation that trust, when carefully nurtured, can actually trickle through the length and breadth of a nation, one medicine at a time.

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