"Establishing the laboratory from the ground up has been my crowning achievement at Icon so far," says Dr Rajput. Under her leadership, the lab was accredited by CAP in March 2009, only four months after opening.

Talking about the growing number of clinical trials in Asia, Dr Rajput comments that, "Asia has become very popular with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for their multinational trials in recent years. Acceptance of India as a clinical research hub by the global pharmaceutical industry has led to a plethora of business opportunities for a variety of ancillary businesses, such as contract research organizations and central laboratories.

Conducting clinical trials represents an average of 37 percent of the total cost of bringing a new drug to market. Very often the efficacy end points are based on laboratory data, therefore testing represents a critical step in supporting the evaluation of a new product."

Dr Rajput believes that every step in her career presented its unique challenges. However, she feels, "If you start enjoying the challenges, they no longer remain and then you overcome them very easily. I try to ensure a positive work environment, where people under my leadership are motivated to meet the challenges of our industry. They in turn become my strength." Creating and retaining a strong working team is the biggest challenge in today's professional life, she feels.

Dr Rajput, who spends her leisure time by listening to music and dancing, further suggests to the budding scientists of India that, "There are a lot of great opportunities in our country; we need good scientists for our developing country and it's up to us to make the difference."