Shweta Rai is the managing director of India and country division head of South Asia for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, where she leads the company’s pharmaceutical business across India and the broader South Asian region. Appointed to this leadership role on 1 January 2024, she is responsible for shaping the company’s regional strategy, strengthening partnerships across the healthcare ecosystem, and expanding access to innovative therapies that address critical health challenges.

With over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, Shweta Rai has built a strong reputation for driving business transformation and building high-performance teams. Since joining Bayer in 2019, she has held several strategic leadership roles, most recently serving as business unit head for diabetes care before assuming her current position. Her professional expertise spans multiple therapeutic areas, including cardiology, diabetes, women’s health, immunology, virology, anti-infectives, vaccines, neurology, orthopedics, and pain management.

Prior to Bayer, Rai held senior positions with leading global healthcare organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, MSD Pharmaceuticals, and IQVIA, where she gained extensive experience across commercial strategy, market development, and healthcare innovation.

Academically, she holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology (honors) from Miranda House, a postgraduate degree in management studies from Mumbai, and has completed a strategic management program at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

Rai has been widely recognized for her leadership and influence within the healthcare sector. She has been featured in India’s “A-List” of top marketing influencers and acknowledged among leading women executives in the healthcare industry. Through her work at Bayer, she continues to champion innovation, strengthen clinical research collaborations, and advance the company’s mission of improving patient outcomes by expanding access to modern, evidence-based healthcare solutions across South Asia.